Effect of Therapy with Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid on Elderly Patients with Low Concentrations of Serum Vitamin B12 or Erythrocyte Folate but Normal Blood Counts

1988 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 84-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.H. Matthews ◽  
D.M. Clark ◽  
G.M. Abrahamson
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Elderly Patients ◽  
Serum Vitamin ◽  
Normal Blood ◽  
Vitamin B ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Effect Of Therapy ◽  
Erythrocyte Folate

Vitamin C, Vitamin B12, Folate and the Risk of Osteoporotic Fractures. A Case-Control Study

2007 ◽  
Vol 77 (6) ◽  
pp. 359-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martínez-Ramírez ◽  
Palma Pérez ◽  
Delgado-Martínez ◽  
Martínez-González ◽  
De la Fuente Arrillaga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Vitamin C ◽  
Fracture Risk ◽  
Case Control Study ◽  
Serum Vitamin ◽  
Osteoporotic Fractures ◽  
Case Control ◽  
Vitamin B ◽  
Erythrocyte Folate ◽  
Control Study

Water-soluble vitamins influence the development of an adequate structure of bone tissue, but there is scant information relating them with osteoporotic fractures. We analyze whether serum vitamin C, vitamin B12, and erythrocyte folate, or dietary intake of vitamin C and folate, are related with osteoporotic fractures in the elderly. A hospital-based case-control study was carried out at the Hospital of Jaén (167 cases, 167 controls), Spain. Cases were defined as patients aged 65 or more years with a low-energy fracture. Controls were people without fracture, matched for age and sex with cases. Diet was assessed by a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Serum vitamin C was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Folic acid and vitamin B12 were measured using procedures of competitive or immunometric immunoassay. Multivariable analyses were also fitted to adjust for confounding using analysis of covariance (for the comparison of adjusted means) and conditional logistic regression (for estimating adjusted odds ratios). A statistically significant difference between cases and controls for vitamin C blood levels was found, being higher for controls (p = 0.01). Analysis of the association between serum vitamin C and fracture risk showed a linear trend (p = 0.03) with a significantly reduced risk for the upper quartile (OR = 0.31; 95% CI 0.11–0.87). The intake of vitamin C, folic acid, and B12 was not related to fracture risk, nor was there any association with erythrocyte folate or serum vitamin B12. In conclusion, serum vitamin C levels were lower in cases with osteoporotic fractures than in controls.

VITAMIN B12 AND FOLIC ACID VALUES IN PREMATURE INFANTS

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1972 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 584-589
Author(s):  
Ambadas Pathak ◽  
Herman A. Godwin ◽  
Luis M. Prudent
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Vitamin B12 ◽  
Premature Infants ◽  
Serum Vitamin ◽  
Serum Folate ◽  
Born Infant ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Folate And Vitamin B12 ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

The relationship of serum vitamin B12 and folic acid was studied in 24 premature infants. In 14 of the 24, low serum vitamin B12 values were found around 40 days of age. Serum folic acid concentrations were less frequently depressed and were usually associated with normal red cell folate values. No correlation between hematocrits and vitamin B12 or folate levels was found. It is suggested that low concentrations of serum folate and vitamin B12 result from low dietary intake coupled with increased demand by the prematurely born infant.

scholarly journals Haematological studies on vegans

1978 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. B. Sanders ◽  
F. R. Ellis ◽  
J. W. T. Dickerson
Keyword(s):  
Haemoglobin Concentration ◽  
Serum Vitamin ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Serum Folate ◽  
Vitamin B ◽  
Normal Range ◽  
Blood Formation ◽  
Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin ◽  
Erythrocyte Folate ◽  
The Mean

1. The concentrations of vitamin B12 and folate in the serum and folate in the erythrocytes were determined and full blood counts made on a series of caucasian vegans and omnivore controls.2. The blood counts and films were normal in all the vegans and no subject had a haemoglobin concentration below the lower limit of normality.3. Although within the normal range, male but not female vegans had lower values for erythrocyte counts and higher values for mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular haemoglobin than their controls regardless of whether they were taking vitamin B12 supplements or not.4. The mean serum vitamin B12 concentration was lower in the vegans not taking vitamin B12 supplements and in those using foods supplemented with the vitamin than in the controls, but in no subject was it below 80 ng/l.5. The serum folate concentrations were higher in the vegans than in their controls. The mean value for erythrocyte folate tended to be greater in the vegans not taking vitamin B12 supplements. No subject had an erythrocyte folate concentration of less than 100μg/l.6. It is concluded that megaloblastic anaemia is very rare in caucasian vegans and that a diet consisting entirely of plant foods is generally adequate to promote normal blood formation providing it is composed of a mixture of unrefined cereals, pulses, nuts, fruit and vegetables and is supplemented with vitamin B12.

scholarly journals Low-dose folic acid supplementation does not influence plasma methionine concentrations in young non-pregnant women

1999 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingeborg A. Brouwerv ◽  
Marijke van Dusseldorp ◽  
Marinus Duran ◽  
Chris M. G. Thomas ◽  
Joseph G. A. J. Hautvast ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Low Dose ◽  
Inverse Correlation ◽  
Folic Acid Supplementation ◽  
Vitamin B ◽  
Plasma Vitamin ◽  
Acid Supplementation ◽  
Erythrocyte Folate ◽  
Total Homocysteine ◽  
Plasma Total Homocysteine

An elevated plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentration is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and for having offspring with a neural-tube defect. Folate is a methyl donor in the remethylation of homocysteine into methionine. Although folic acid supplementation decreases tHcy concentrations, effects of folic acid supplementation on plasma methionine concentrations are unclear. There is also concern that folic acid supplementation negatively affects vitamin B12 status. We studied effects of low-dose folic acid supplementation on methionine and vitamin B12 concentrations in plasma. We also investigated whether baseline plasma methionine and tHcy concentrations correlated with the baseline folate and vitamin B12 status. For a period of 4 weeks, 144 young women received either 500 μg folic acid each day, or 500 μg folic acid and placebo tablets on alternate days, or a placebo tablet each day. Plasma methionine, tHcy and plasma vitamin B12 concentrations were measured at start and end of the intervention period. Folic acid supplementation had no effect on plasma methionine or plasma vitamin B12 concentrations although it significantly decreased tHcy concentrations. Plasma methionine concentrations showed no correlation with either tHcy concentrations (Spearman rs - 0·01, P = 0·89), or any of the blood vitamin variables at baseline. Baseline tHcy concentrations showed a slight inverse correlation with baseline concentrations of plasma vitamin B12 (rs - 0·25, P < 0·001), plasma folate (rs - 0·24, P < 0·01) and erythrocyte folate (rs - 0·19, P < 0·05). In conclusion, low-dose folic acid supplementation did not influence plasma methionine or plasma vitamin B12 concentrations. Furthermore, no correlation between plasma methionine concentrations and the blood folate and vitamin B12 status was shown.

scholarly journals Prevalence and haemopoietic effects of low serum vitamin B12levels in geriatric medical patients

1997 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Stott ◽  
Peter Langhorne ◽  
Anne Hendry ◽  
Pamela J Mckay ◽  
Tessa Holyoake ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Elderly Patients ◽  
Blood Count ◽  
Serum Vitamin ◽  
Full Blood Count ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Vitamin B ◽  
Medical Patients ◽  
Medical Unit ◽  
Count Change ◽  
Low Serum

The clinical significance of low serum vitamin B12levels in elderly people is controversial. We aimed to document the prevalence of a low serum vitamin B12(<175pmol/l) in patients referred to a geriatric medical unit, and to determine whether haemopoiesis is commonly affected in elderly patients with low serum vitamin B12. We studied prospectively 472 consecutive referrals to a geriatric medical unit; fifty-six (13%) had a low serum vitamin B12level, of whom nineteen (34%) of the fifty-six also had evidence of Fe deficiency (serum ferritin<45ng/ml). Low vitamin B12was associated with a raised mean erythrocyte volume (MCV; mean 96·0 (SD 6·7) fl), compared with a control group (91·7 (SD 6·0) fl; P=0·001). However, only thirteen (23%) of the fifty-six patients with a low vitamin Blz had an MCV≥100 fl. Mean haemoglobin (Hb) levels were not significantly reduced in those with a low vitamin B12. In a subsequent study the haematological response to intramuscular hydroxocobalamin was examined in thirty-four patients with a low serum vitamin B12. Treatment resulted in a significant fall in MCV and rise in Hb; these effects could be detected both in those patients with an initially normal full blood count (change in MCV -1·2 (SD 1·2); Hb + 0·5 (SD 0·6); P<0·01) and in those with macrocytosis and/or anaemia (-9·1 (SD 11·8); + 0·8 (SD 1·2); P<0·05). A low serum vitamin B12is common in geriatric medical patients. This is usually associated with an upset in erythropoiesis, although the abnormalities are often subtle and may not be apparent on inspection of the full blood count. Elderly patients with serum vitamin B12<175pmol/l should be assumed to have vitamin deficiency even if their full blood count is normal.

Efficacy of Vitamin B Supplementation on Cognition in Elderly Patients With Cognitive-Related Diseases

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong-Mei Zhang ◽  
Jian-Xin Ye ◽  
Jun-Shan Mu ◽  
Xiao-Ping Cui
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Alzheimer Disease ◽  
Elderly Patients ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Vitamin B ◽  
Cognitive Improvement ◽  
Serum Homocysteine ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
B Vitamin

Increase in serum homocysteine is shown to be a potential risk factor for cognitive impairment. Evidence suggests that vitamin B supplementation may reduce cognitive decline by lowering the homocysteine levels. The current meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy of folic acid along with vitamin B12 and/or B6 in lowering homocysteine, thereby attenuating cognitive decline in elderly patients with Alzheimer disease or dementia. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the efficacy of folate and B vitamin supplementation in patients with cognitive decline secondary to Alzheimer disease or dementia were identified using the keywords, “homocysteine, hyper-homocysteinemia, B vitamin, vitamin B6, B12, folic acid, cognitive, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia.” The outcome measures analyzed were the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score and serum homocysteine. Of the 77 studies identified, 4 RCTs were included in the current meta-analysis. The baseline characteristics, age, and gender distribution of patients among the 2 groups (supplement vs placebo) were comparable. The results reveal that the intervention group achieved significantly greater reduction in homocysteine levels than the control (pooled difference in means = −3.625, 95% confidence interval [CI] = −5.642 to −1.608, P < .001). However, no significant difference in MMSE (pooled difference in means = 0.027, 95% CI = −0.518 to 0.573, P = 0.921) was observed between the groups. Taken together, vitamin B supplementation was effective in reducing serum homocysteine levels. However, it did not translate into cognitive improvement, indicating that the existing data on vitamin B-induced improvement in cognition by lowering homocysteine levels are conflicting.

scholarly journals Vitamin B12and folate status in Spanish lacto-ovo vegetarians and vegans

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angélica Gallego-Narbón ◽  
Belén Zapatera ◽  
Laura Barrios ◽  
M. Pilar Vaquero
Keyword(s):  
Serum Vitamin ◽  
Animal Origin ◽  
Functional Markers ◽  
Vitamin B ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
Folate Status ◽  
Erythrocyte Folate ◽  
Subclinical Vitamin ◽  
Supplement Intake ◽  
Diet Type

AbstractStudies on the nutritional status of vegetarians in Spain are lacking. Prevention of vitamin B12deficiency is the main concern, as dietary sources are of animal origin. The present study aimed to evaluate vitamin B12and folate status of Spanish vegetarians using classical markers and functional markers. Participants were adult and healthy lacto-ovo vegetarians (forty-nine subjects) and vegans (fifty-four subjects) who underwent blood analyses and completed a FFQ. Serum vitamin B12, homocysteine (Hcy), methylmalonic acid (MMA), erythrocyte folate and haematological parameters were determined. The effects of the type of plant-based diet, and the intake of supplements and foods were studied by a FFQ. Mean erythrocyte folate was 1704 (sd609) nmol/l. Clinical or subclinical vitamin B12deficiency was detected in 11 % of the subjects (MMA>271 nmol/l) and 33 % of the participants showed hyperhomocysteinaemia (Hcy>15 µmol/l). Regarding plant-based diet type, significantly higher Hcy was observed in lacto-ovo vegetarians compared with vegans (P = 0·019). Moreover, use of vitamin B12supplements involved an improvement of vitamin B12status but further increase in erythrocyte folate (P = 0·024). Consumption of yoghurts was weakly associated with serum vitamin B12adequacy (P = 0·049) and that of eggs with lower Hcy (P = 0·030). In conclusion, Spanish vegetarians present high folate status but vitamin B12subclinical deficiency was demonstrated using functional markers. The lack of influence of dietary sources on functional markers and the strong effect of vitamin B12supplement intake emphasise the need of cobalamin supplementation in both lacto-ovo vegetarians and vegans.

scholarly journals Haematological studies on pre-menopausal Indian and Caucasian vegetarians compared with Caucasian omnivores

1990 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 331-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheela Reddy ◽  
T. A. B. Sanders
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin C ◽  
Mean Corpuscular Volume ◽  
Serum Vitamin ◽  
Vitamin B ◽  
Corpuscular Volume ◽  
Normal Range ◽  
Indian Women ◽  
Corpuscular Haemoglobin ◽  
Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin ◽  
Erythrocyte Folate

Full blood counts, serum ferritin, vitamin B12 and folate, erythrocyte folate concentrations and nutrient intakes were estimated in twenty-three Indian vegetarian, twenty-two Caucasian omnivores and eighteen Caucasian vegetarian women aged 25–40 years. Energy and copper intakes were lower in the Indian women than in the Caucasians. Intakes of dietary fibre, vitamin C and folate were greater and the proportion of energy derived from fat was lower in the vegetarians than in the omnivores. Vitamin B12 and protein intakes were lower in both vegetarian groups than in the omnivores. Fe intake was similar in all the groups but haem Fe provided one-quarter of the Fe intake of the omnivores. Haemoglobin concentrations were generally inside the normal range in all groups, but were lower in the Indians as were mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH). Higher MCV, MCH and lower erythrocyte (RBC) counts were observed in Caucasian vegetarians compared with the Caucasian omnivores. In both groups of vegetarians, concentrations of serum vitamin B12 and ferritin were markedly lower than in the omnivores. RBC folate concentrations were lower in the Indians than in either of the Caucasian groups when subjects taking supplements were excluded. It is concluded that vegetarians need to ensure they have adequate intakes of Fe and vitamin B12.

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