Vitamin B-12 status is associated with bone mineral content and bone mineral density in frail elderly women but not in men.
Subclinical vitamin B-12 deficiency is common in the elderly. Encouraged by early indications, we investigated the plasma vitamin B-12 status in association with bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) in frail elderly people. Data of 194 free-living Dutch frail elderly (143 women and 51 men) were available. BMC and BMD were measured by dual energy X-ray analysis. Biochemical analyses were performed on plasma or serum including vitamin B-12, methylmalonic acid, homocysteine, 25-hydroxy vitamin D and parathyroid hormone. Women had higher plasma vitamin B-12 (288 and 238 pmol/L, respectively) and lower plasma homocysteine levels (15.8 and 21.3 micro mol/L, respectively) than men. Of the total explained variance of BMC and BMD in women (46 and 22%, respectively), 1.3-3.1% was explained by plasma vitamin B-12, in addition to weight and height or energy intake. In men, the variance of BMC and BMD was explained by weight, smoking and/or height (total R(2) was 53 and 25%, respectively), but not by plasma vitamin B-12. Osteoporosis occurred more often among women whose vitamin B-12 status was considered marginal or deficient than in women with a normal status, i.e., the prevalence odds ratios (after adjustment for weight, age and calcium intake) (95% confidence intervals) were 4.5 (0.8;24.8) and 6.9 (1.2;39.4), respectively. These results suggest that vitamin B-12 status is associated with bone health in elderly women. Future studies on bone health should take into account a possible role of vitamin B-12 status in different populations.
Dhonukshe-Rutten
Rosalie A M
RA
Division of Human Nutrition and Epidemiology, Wageningen University, The Netherlands. rosalie.rutten@wur.nl
Lips
Martine
M
de Jong
Nynke
N
Chin A Paw
Marijke J M
MJ
Hiddink
Gerrit J
GJ
van Dusseldorp
Marijke
M
De Groot
Lisette C P G M
LC
van Staveren
Wija A
WA
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001823:Body Composition; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008764:Methylmalonic Acid / Q000097:blood; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D009752:Nutritional Status; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012907:Smoking; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood*; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood
D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D006710:Homocysteine; D014807:Vitamin D; D008764:Methylmalonic Acid; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D; D014805:Vitamin B 12