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Table 3 Blood profile in vegetarian (V) and non-vegetarian (NV) elderly males (m) and females (f) (mean ± SD)

From: Health aspects, nutrition and physical characteristics in matched samples of institutionalized vegetarian and non-vegetarian elderly (> 65yrs)

Parameter

Gender

V (n, n a-typ.)(a)

NV (n, n a-typ.)(a)

Ref.

Haemoglobin (mmol/l)

m

13.4 ± 0.9 (4, 2)

13.6 ± 1.2 (6, 2)

13-16.5

 

f

12.8 ± 1.1 (18, 3)

13.1 ± 1.6 (20, 3)

11.8-14.5

Red cell count (106/mm3)

m

4.6 ± 0.3 (4, 0)

4.5 ± 0.5 (6, 0)

4.2-5.7

 

f

4.3 ± 0.5 (21, 2)

4.4 ± 0.5 (20, 2)

3.9-5.0

Serum iron (mg/dl)

m+f

76 ± 25 (24, 4)

82 ± 36 (26, 1)

50-170

Transferrine (mg/dl)

m+f

243 ± 33* (25, 1)

217 ± 37 (26, 1)

181-332

Ferritine (mg/l)

m

47 ± 26 (4, 1)

161 ± 165 (6, 0)

30-400

 

f

70 ± 46 (21, 1)

158 ± 180 (20, 1)

13-150

White cells (103/mm3)

m+f

6.4 ± 1.5* (22, 0)

7.8 ± 2.5 (26, 5)

3.6-9.6

Ureum (mg/dl)

m+f

36.9 ± 11.0 (24, 8)

42.5 ± 23.5 (26, 14)

15-40

Albumin (g/dl)

m+f

3.9 ± 0.3* (24, 3)

3.7 ± 0.3 (26, 3)

3.7-5.0

Serum calcium (103/mm3)

m+f

8.8 ± 0.4 (24, 5(b))

9.0 ± 0.4 (26, 1)

8.6-9.8

Serum zinc (mg/dl)

m+f

62.0 ± 11.1† (24, 20)

64.5 ± 12.2† (26, 18)

70-150

Total cholesterol (mg/dl)

m+f

213 ± 40*,† (24, 18)

188 ± 33 (25, 12)

< 200

LDL (mg/dl)

m+f

121 ± 30 (24, 15)

111 ± 26 (24, 11)

< 115

HDL (mg/dl)

m+f

54 ± 15 (24, 4)

51 ± 12 (26, 2)

> 40

Triglycerides (mg/dl)

m+f

180 ± 106 (24, 10)

149 ± 103 (26, 6)

< 180

Vitamin B12 (mg/l)

m+f

0.58 ± 0.60 (22, 7)

0.46 ± 0.46 (26, 7)

0.22-0.94

Folic acid (mg/l)

m+f

9.8 ± 5.7 (22, 6)

7.3 ± 6.0 (26, 6)

2.0-14.0

  1. (a)(n: number of subjects studied, n a-typ.: number of subjects with a-typical values)
  2. (b)The values were close to the cut-off point, i.e. 8.1, 8.3, 8.4, 8.4, 8.4
  3. *Significantly different with NV (p < 0.05)
  4. †Significantly different from reference values (Ref.) (p < 0.05)