Reference intervals for serum creatinine levels in the healthy geriatric population

Abstract 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 μmol/L for males, respectively, and 44.3–75.4, 47.1–85.5 and 45.1–90.9 μmol/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.