Serum vitamin B12, C and folate concentrations in the New Mexico elder health survey: correlations with cognitive and affective functions.
OBJECTIVE
1) To compare serum vitamin B12, C and folate concentrations in a randomly selected sample of elderly (age 65 years or older) male and female Hispanics and nonHispanic whites (NHW) and 2) to examine associations between serum B12, C and folate concentrations compared to measures of cognitive and affective (depression) functions.


METHODS
Equal numbers of male and female Hispanics and NHW were randomly sampled from the Health Care Financing Administration (Medicare) registrant list for Bernalillo County, New Mexico, and asked to volunteer for a paid home interview followed by a paid comprehensive interview/examination covering health and health-related issues. In addition to serum determinations of B12, C and folate, associations were examined between these vitamins and measures of cognitive and affective functions.


RESULTS
Males and Hispanics had lower serum vitamin B12, C and folate concentrations than females and NHW respectively. Participants taking a multivitamin supplement (MVI) had higher serum vitamin concentrations than those not taking MVI. There were significant associations between serum folate concentrations and measures of cognitive function, not seen with B12 or C, nor between any of the vitamins and affective function.


CONCLUSIONS
Hispanics, even after adjustments for gender, age, vitamin supplementation, vitamin content of dietary foods, education and household income, had lower serum concentrations of B12, C and folate than NHW. The most significant associations observed were those between serum folate and various measures of cognitive function, even after adjusting for presence of depression.
Lindeman
R D
RD
Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque 87131-5271, USA.
Romero
L J
LJ
Koehler
K M
KM
Liang
H C
HC
LaRue
A
A
Baumgartner
R N
RN
Garry
P J
PJ
D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009516:New Mexico; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage
D014815:Vitamins; D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12; D001205:Ascorbic Acid