Williams W J
Compr Ther. 1980 Jul;6(7):7-9.
There are age-related changes in the results of some tests, but in none is the normal value for the elderly sufficiently different from normal values for younger adults to permit the physician confidently to ascribe an abnormal result to age alone. In assessing the significance of abnormal results of hematologic tests in asymptomatic patients, it is particularly important to consider problems of major import, such as blood loss from the gastrointestinal tract. Anemia is the abnormality most likely to be encountered, and investigation of a marginal reduction in the hemoglobin level of an elderly patient may be rewarded with a specific diagnosis of a disease that can be effectively treated, at least for a time.
某些检查结果会随年龄发生变化，但对于老年人来说，其正常数值与年轻人的正常数值相比，差异都不足以让医生仅凭年龄就确定某项异常结果。在评估无症状患者血液学检查异常结果的意义时，尤其要考虑重大问题，比如胃肠道失血。贫血是最可能出现的异常情况，对老年患者血红蛋白水平略有下降进行检查，可能会得出某种可有效治疗（至少能在一段时间内有效治疗）疾病的明确诊断。
