Continuous changes in biological levels of complete blood count in a high altitude area of China

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to establish a new reference interval of blood cell parameters by classifying and counting blood Cells of 16- to 85-year-old healthy volunteers and observing continuous changes with age. METHODS: We analyzed the blood cell parameters of 42,678 cases (men, 24,406; women, 18,272), and compared the blood cell parameters of men and women in different age groups using an independent samples t-test. Using limits of 2.5%–97.5%, a 90% confidence interval was used to develop new reference intervals. RESULTS: Counts of blood cell parameters, including white blood Cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils, red blood Cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, distribution width of red blood Cells and platelets, were found to differ between men and women in different age groups. These parameters were used to establish a new reference interval of blood Cells. CONCLUSION: The blood cell parameters of both men and women changed with increasing age. The reference interval that we established will provide more accurate basic evidence for clinical diagnosis and treatment of diseases.