title: The oldest old: red blood cell and plasma folate in African American and white octogenarians and centenarians in Georgia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the overall folate status of a population-based multi-ethnic sample of octogenarians and centenarians and the specific dietary, demographic and physiological factors associated with observed abnormalities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based multiethnic sample of adults aged 80 to 89 and 98 and above.
  
  
  METHODS
  Northern Georgia, USA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Men and women aged 80 to 89 (octogenarians, n = 77) and 98 and older (centenarians, n = 199).
  
  
  METHODS
  Wilcoxon rank sum tests, and Chi square and logistic regression analyses were used to examine associations of low and high folate status with hematological indicators and other variables of interest.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of low red blood cell (RBC) folate was low overall, but tended to be higher in centenarians than in octogenarians (6.5% vs. 1.3%, p = 0.058; defined as RBC folate < 317 nmol/L). The risk of having lower RBC folate (< 25th vs. > 25th percentile for RBC folate for 60yr+ in NHANES 1999-2000) was greater in association with vitamin B12 deficiency (OR = 5.36; 95%CI: 2.87-10.01), African American race (OR = 4.29; 95%CI: 2.08-8.83), and residence in a skilled nursing facility (OR = 3.25; 95%CI: 1.56-6.78) but was not influenced by age, gender, B-vitamin supplement use, high/low food score or presence of atrophic gastritis. Combined high plasma folate and low vitamin B12 status was present in some individuals (n=11), but was not associated with increased prevalence of anemia or cognitive impairment in this study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low RBC folate status (< 317 nmol/L) was rare in this post folic acid fortification sample of octogenarians and centenarians. RBC folate status (< 25th percentile) was strongly associated with 1) vitamin B12 deficiency, which has strong implications for vitamin treatment, and 2) with being African American, suggesting racial disparities exist even in the oldest old.
authors.affiliation: The University of Georgia, Department of Foods and Nutrition, Athens, GA 30602, USA. dhausman@uga.edu
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Hausman
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Davey
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Woodard
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Poon
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Stabler
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*; D005494:Folic Acid Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D005845:Georgia / Q000453:epidemiology; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D014803:Vitamin B Complex / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D014803:Vitamin B Complex; D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12
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