Study: Understanding your health by using reference ranges, 2007 to 2011
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Released: 2016-06-27
Researchers have used data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey to set parameters for more than 80 different substances to track the relative health of Canadians.
These substances, found in blood and urine, were used to create Canadian-specific reference ranges by age and sex. By establishing these reference ranges, it is possible for health care professionals to know the limits within which a test result should be if a patient is healthy or free of a disease of interest. They are one of the many tools that doctors use to assess and monitor the health of Canadians.
This study uses two of these substances as examples to illustrate the importance of variables like age and sex for understanding what is considered normal or healthy in the Canadian population.
Note to readers
The study presents data from cycle 1 (2007 to 2009) and cycle 2 (2009 to 2011) of the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) (5071). The CHMS is an ongoing survey that collects key information relevant to the health of Canadians by means of direct physical measurements, such as blood pressure, height and weight. In addition, the survey collects blood and urine samples.
Reference ranges represent the limits within which a test result should be if a patient is healthy or free of a disease of interest.
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The article, "Understanding your health by using reference ranges," in Health at a Glance (82-624-X) is now available from the Browse by key resource module of our website, under Publications.
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