Changing blood test protocol could improve patient care, catch disease sooner
Becker's Healthcare December 12, 2024
Using personalized reference points in routine blood tests could improve patient health assessments and help diagnose diseases sooner, a recent Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital study found.
The study, published Dec. 11 in Nature, analyzed data from 12,000 adults who received multiple complete blood count (CBC) tests across 20 years. CBC screenings assess a patient’s overall health using a single blood sample, typically compared against standardized reference points. Patients’ CBC ranges can shift due to genetics, disease history and age. Individualizing the nine CBC set points — including red and white blood cell counts, platelet counts, hemoglobin levels and cell size — could differentiate individuals from 98% of other healthy adults.
“Our study suggests CBCs vary a lot...