Changes in thrombelastograph™ variables associated with aging

Abstract

Aging is associated with hypercoagulability. To assess thrombelastography (TEG®) variables associated with aging, 132 adult patients of various ages undergoing orthopedic surgery for fracture repair had venous blood samples withdrawn for testing of recalcified TEG® before the induction of anesthesia. Age was weakly correlated with all TEG® variables: r time (R) (r = -0.45, P < 0.001; R = 19.5 - 0.09 × age), k time (K) (r = -0.49, P < 0.001; K = 6.5 - 0.04 × age), maximum amplitude (MA) (r = 0.25, P < 0.01; MA = 53.3 + 0.07 × age), and α (r = 0.52, P < 0.001; α = 52.8 + 0.2 × age). The correlation was stronger for men than for women. Only R was significantly correlated with age when the women were separately analyzed. Part of the correlation may be attributable to a concurrent decrease in hemoglobin with aging, but age remained an independent predictor of R, K, and α on forward stepwise linear multiple regression analysis. Aging was weakly associated with changes in TEG® variables, which should be allowed for when interpreting TEG® measurements in the elderly.