title: Aging: laboratory testing and theories.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review theories of aging and the changes in laboratory test results that occur because of physical changes in the normal elderly patient.
  
  
  METHODS
  Books on aging, laboratory test interpretation, and nutrition as well as published articles on aging, vitamins, and nutrition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Elderly people.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survey of the literature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Aging theories may present possible aspects of the effects of aging on health in the elderly. Normal aging may lead to physical changes that alter laboratory test results without causing disease. Treatment of these "abnormal" results in the elderly may be detrimental to their health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As the elderly population increases, laboratorians will encounter an increasing number of elderly patients. Discriminating between truly abnormal test results and those caused by aging will require laboratory reevaluation of adult reference ranges.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40506-0080, USA.
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Gorman
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values