title: A vitamin profile of heroin addiction.
abstract: Circulating thiamine, riboflavin, nicotinates, folates, vitamin B12, B6, A, and carotenes of 149 heroin addicts aged 17-60 years were compared to 204 healthy subjects not using drugs or vitamins. Only 24 per cent of the addicts had no evidence of hypovitaminemia; 45 per cent and 37 per cent had vitamin B6 and folate deficit respectively, whereas deficits of thiamine, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and nicotinate were recorded for 13-19 per cent of the addict population; impaired liver function in addicts did not influence these results.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001361:Avitaminosis / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005494:Folic Acid Deficiency / Q000150:complications; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D026681:Vitamin B 6 Deficiency / Q000150:complications; D014815:Vitamins / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins