Vitamin B6 status of Finnish elderly. Comparison with Dutch younger adults and elderly. The effect of supplementation.
About 25% of Finnish and Dutch elderly appeared to be more or less deficient in vitamin B6 as compared to younger adults. Deficiency was observed at the cellular (PLP, EGOT and alpha-EGOT) as well as at the plasma level (PLP). The benefit of a one-year daily supplementation with 2 mg of pyridoxine-HCl was investigated at the biochemical and psychological level as compared to a placebo group. After one year, none of the supplemented elderly was deficient in biochemical terms. At the psychological level and at the level of general well-being, the elderly supplemented with vitamin B6 showed slight improvements. However, for the psychological variables significant correlations with the vitamin B6 parameters were not observed. Plasma fatty acids (e.g. gamma-linolenic acid) showed no correlation with the vitamin B6 status.
Tolonen
M
M
University of Helsinki, Finland.
Schrijver
J
J
Westermarck
T
T
Halme
M
M
Tuominen
S E
SE
Frilander
A
A
Keinonen
M
M
Sarna
S
S
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D009426:Netherlands; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D011736:Pyridoxine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D026681:Vitamin B 6 Deficiency / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*
D011736:Pyridoxine