UCLA

Background

Clinicians often use population-based reference intervals (RIs) when interpreting patient results. However, this method can present problems if the analyte in question has wide variability from person to person.

Methods

We examined the biological variation of routine hematologic markers in 82 white non-Hispanic men every 6 months during a 30-year period, to determine the usefulness of population-based RIs and age-related decline of hematological markers.

Results

Many of these markers showed significant person-to-person differences (index of individuality <1.4 in 10/11 markers) and change over time with a decrease in mean for white blood cells (WBCs), red blood cells (RBCs), hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelets, and neutrophils. The mean increased for monocytes, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) (all P <.05).

Conclusion

Longitudinal analysis demonstrated significant decline in hematologic marker counts, with the exception of MCV and MCH. Establishment of a personalized baseline for hematologic assessments may be more useful to clinicians than previous methods.