A cross-sectional assessment of the laboratory variables collected from healthy U. S. veterans varying in age from 24 to 84 is presented. Only a decrease in % albumin and % alpha-2 globulin fractions of the serum protein, a decrease in hemoglobin and an increase in % gamma globulin and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate are age-related by the statistical model used in this analysis. Shortcomings inherent in cross-sectional analysis and extrapolation of this data into “normals” for the population are discussed. These include such factors as non-Gaussian distribution of subgroups and secular changes between the older and younger age groups.
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