RESUMO
The results of the determination of 24 basic blood chemistry variables from 262 men and 239 women, half of each group 44.4 +/- 0.9 and 63.0 +/- 0.9 (men) and 44.4 +/- 0.9 and 62.8 +/- 0.8 years old (women), resp., are compared. In men, only 6 analytes show significant differences between the age groups: Alanine aminotransferase decreases, aspartate aminotransferase decreases, iron decreases with p < 0.05; sodium increases, calcium decreases, protein (serum) decreases with p < 0.001. In women, 16 analytes, compared between both groups, are significantly different: Urea, uric acid, creatinine, triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, LDL-C/HDL-C ratio, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, sodium and ferritin are increased in the older group, whereas HDL cholesterol, iron, transferrin, and total protein are decreased. The sex differences are more distinct in the group of 44 years old persons than in the 63 years old one. These results will be completed by the comparison with the evaluation of the stored laboratory values of 9923 patients between 20 and 89 years old.