title: Folate status worsens in recently institutionalized elderly people without evidence of functional deterioration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To follow folate status, hematological and cognitive changes during the first year of institutionalization among elderly subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Long-stay unit of the Dijon University Geriatric Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty women and four men older than 65 years admitted consecutively.
  
  
  METHODS
  Folate and vitamin B-6 dietary intake was evaluated by a five-day record on admission (day 1 or d 1), at day 45 (d 45), day 90 (d 90), day 135 (d 135), day 180 (d 180), day 360 (d 360). Circulating levels of folate, vitamin B-6, total homocysteine (tHcy), blood counts and cognitive performance were determined in parallel.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From d 1 to d 360, mean folate and vitamin B-6 intakes remained below the French RDA and mean folate intakes decreased significantly (delta = 10.2%, p < 0.05). Mean plasma or erythrocyte folate decreased significantly (delta = 33.7%, p <0.05 and delta = -30.2%, p < 0.001, respectively) from d 1 to d 360; no significant change was observed for the other blood parameters. The incidence of folate deficiency increased (8% vs. 37% for plasma folate <6.8 nmol/L and 8% vs. 17% for erythrocyte folate <340 nmol/L) from d I to d 360. Mean plasma pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) remained <20 nmol/L during the one-year follow-up. There was no difference between genders for plasma tHcy. Although mean plasma tHcy was <14 micromol/L. plasma tHcy was >14 micromol/L in about one-third of the subjects. At each period, 50% or more subjects were anemic (Hct <35% in women and Hct <40% in men), but the anemia was normocytic (MCV <100 fL). Subjects had a moderate dementia at admission, and no change was observed during the study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subjects were already vitamin B-6 deficient at admission. Folate status was impaired during the study. Low vitamin intakes were the main cause of vitamin B-6 deficiency and folate status deterioration. Hematology and mental status capacity were not aggravated by folate status deterioration. Plasma tHcy didn't appear to be an earlier predictor of folate deficiency.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine, Dijon, France.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Essama-Tjani
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Guilland
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Potier de Courcy
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Richard
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition; D015930:Diet Records; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D005494:Folic Acid Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011736:Pyridoxine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine; D005492:Folic Acid; D011736:Pyridoxine