Association of biochemical values with morbidity in the elderly: a population-based Swedish study of persons aged 82 or more years

Background: Various inter‐dependent factors influence serum biochemical values. In the elderly, the impact of these factors may differ compared with younger age groups and therefore population‐based studies among older people are needed. The specific morbidity in old age, including also various types of drug therapy, should be observed. Methods: Various biochemical tests in 349 females and 186 males over 81 years of age were carried out and the associations of biochemical values with morbidity, drug therapy, anthropometry and gender were estimated. Results: Biochemical serum values deviate in various diseases, characterized by increased frequency in the elderly, i.e. congestive heart failure, osteoporosis, hip fractures, depression and dementia. All of these diseases present a tendency to increased homocysteine, usually combined with low folate. Cases with intact cognitive function throughout the six years after sampling are characterized by low homocysteine, which is the opposite of what is found in deme...