1. Metabolic evidence of vitamin B-12 deficiency, including high homocysteine and methylmalonic acid and low holotranscobalamin, is more pronounced in older adults with elevated plasma folate123
- Author
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Ralph Green, Mary N. Haan, Joshua W. Miller, Lindsay H. Allen, and Marjorie G. Garrod
- Subjects
Male ,Vitamin ,medicine.medical_specialty ,National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey ,Homocysteine ,Anemia ,Methylmalonic acid ,Medicine (miscellaneous) ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Folic Acid ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,Vitamin B12 ,Cyanocobalamin ,Aged ,Aged, 80 and over ,Transcobalamins ,Nutrition and Dietetics ,Nutritional epidemiology and public health ,business.industry ,Vitamin B 12 Deficiency ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,B vitamins ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Endocrinology ,chemistry ,Female ,business ,Methylmalonic Acid - Abstract
Background: An analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey indicated that in older adults exposed to folic acid fortification, the combination of low serum vitamin B-12 and elevated folate is associated with higher concentrations of homocysteine and methylmalonic acid and higher odds ratios for cognitive impairment and anemia than the combination of low vitamin B-12 and nonelevated folate. These findings await confirmation in other populations. Objective: The purpose was to compare metabolic indicators of vitamin B-12 status, cognitive function, and depressive symptoms among elderly Latinos with elevated and nonelevated plasma folate. Design: Cross-sectional data were analyzed for 1535 subjects (age: ≥60 y) from the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging. Subjects were divided into 4 groups on the basis of plasma vitamin B-12 ( 45.3 nmol/L). Homocysteine, methylmalonic acid, holotranscobalamin, ratio of holotranscobalamin to vitamin B-12, Modified Mini-Mental State Examination, delayed recall, and depressive symptom scores were compared between the groups. Results: Individuals with low vitamin B-12 and elevated folate (n = 22) had the highest concentrations of homocysteine and methylmalonic acid and the lowest concentration of holotranscobalamin and ratio of holotranscobalamin to vitamin B-12 when compared with all other groups (P ≤ 0.003). No differences in Modified Mini-Mental State Examination, delayed recall, and depressive symptom scores were observed between the low vitamin B-12 and elevated-folate group compared with other groups. Conclusions: Low vitamin B-12 is associated with more pronounced metabolic evidence of vitamin B-12 deficiency when folate is elevated than when folate is not elevated. These data should be considered when assessing the potential costs, risks, and benefits of folic acid and vitamin B-12 fortification programs.
- Published
- 2009