Low serum folic acid levels in a nursing home population: a clinical experience.
Four hundred fifty-five residents of the Wisconsin Veterans Home had fasting serum specimens obtained for folic acid as part of standard practice. Twenty-nine percent were taking folic acid supplements. Six percent (n = 28) were taking phenytoin, a folate antagonist. No resident receiving a folate supplement (400 mcg/day) had a low serum folic acid level. This finding may be important for practitioners selecting a dose of folic acid for nursing home patients. Of the 325 residents not receiving a folate supplement, nine (3%) had low folic acid levels (< 2.5 ng/mL). Two of the nine were receiving phenytoin. Five were characterized by staff as eating well. As low serum levels are preventable with a multivitamin, we believe that supplementation with a multivitamin containing 400 mcg folic acid/day should be considered in nursing home residents.
Drinka
P J
PJ
Wisconsin Veterans Home, King 54946-0620.
Langer
E H
EH
Voeks
S K
SK
Goodwin
J S
JS
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*; D005494:Folic Acid Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010672:Phenytoin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014922:Wisconsin
D006454:Hemoglobins; D010672:Phenytoin; D005492:Folic Acid