Objective assessment of health or pre-chronic disease state based on a health test index derived from routinely measured clinical laboratory parameters

Abstract

Objective: To develop a quantitative system to enable the objective assessment of health or pre-chronic disease state. Methods: On the basis of measured values and reference ranges, we obtained the organ function index (mean of the cut-off ratios of albumin and creatinine), blood lipid index (mean of the cut-off ratios of triglycerides, cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins and low-density lipoproteins), stress index (mean of the cut-off ratios of neutrophils and glucose), and the health test index (mean of the above three indexes, HTI). Elderly populations, individuals with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and administrators were included in the groups of observed subjects to verify the organ function index, blood lipid index and stress index. Results: The scores of the three indexes were all statistically higher in the observed group than in the control group (p < 0.05). The mean HTI score was 0.7 ± 0.07 and was normally distributed in the control population. The rates of hypertension, obesity, fatty liver disease and health (undetectable organic diseases) increased with increasing HTI scores in a random population. Conclusions: The HTI is easily derived from routinely measured clinical laboratory parameters. It can reflect the health status of an individual and may be a useful tool for the quantitative differentiation of health status.