Summary. The prevalences of vitamin B 12 and folic acid deficiency in the general Israeli population of elders has not been assessed. We measured plasma cobalamin and folic acid concentrations in 418 subjects from four institutions for the aged, 749 subjects attending 19 geriatric day centres and 104 healthy controls. Methylmalonic acid (MMA) and/ or homocysteine concentrations were determined in subjects who had a cobalamin concentration <221 pmol/l or folic acid concentration <11 nmol/l respectively. The prevalences of vitamin B 12 deficiency (cobalamin <147 pmol/l and MMA ‡0AE24 lmol/l), and folic acid deficiency (folic acid <11 nmol/l and homocysteine of >15 lmol/l) in subjects from day centres were 12AE6% and 16AE4% respectively, and in subjects from institutions 1AE2% and 2AE2% respectively (P < 0AE001). Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that the relative risk of living at home versus institutions for the aged was highly significant, with odds ratios (OR) of 6AE8 [95% confidence interval (CI) 2AE6-18AE0] for vitamin B 12 deficiency and 6AE6 (95% CI 2AE9-13AE1) for folic acid deficiency. Analysis of data for day centre patients showed that folic acid deficiency was a significant risk factor of vitamin B 12 deficiency (adjusted OR 3AE68, 95% CI 2AE27-5AE98), and vitamin B 12 deficiency was a significant risk of folic acid deficiency (adjusted OR 3AE69, 95% CI 2AE27-6.01). These data suggest that malnutrition is a major cause of the highly prevalent deficiencies of vitamin B 12 and/or folic acid in elderly Israeli subjects dwelling at home.
Mild SN rather than SCD is the main neurological impairment in elderly people with CblD. Short-term supplementation of CbL can correct the biochemical deficiency without affecting the neurological impairment.
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