Reference intervals for serum creatinine levels in the healthy geriatric population

Background: There are few reliable reference values of enzymatically assayed serum creatinine (Scr) levels categorized within a small age interval in the healthy geriatric population. The aim of this study was to establish the reference intervals (RIs) for Scr in the elderly population. Methods: Healthy, elderly Chinese Han ethnic individuals aged between 60 and 89 years old were recruited for this study. We stratified the reference individuals by gender and age (60-69, 70-79 and 80-89 years), and the Scr values were measured by an enzymatic method. The central 95 percentile RIs were determined using non-parametric statistical methods. Results: The Scr values in the elderly population show a Gaussian distribution and age/sex related differences. The RIs for Scr in the reference population with respect to age (ranges of 60-69, 70-79 and 80-89 years) were 52.9-94.5, 57.3-106.2 and 59.0-110.8 mu mol/L for males, respectively, and 44.3-75.4, 47.1-85.5 and 45.1-90.9 mu mol/L for females, respectively. Conclusions: We have established the RIs for Scr measured with an enzymatic method in the healthy Chinese Han ethnic elderly population, which can provide a reference for both clinical and laboratory studies. (c) 2013 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.