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Folate Deficiency Among Institutionalized Elderly: Public Health Impact
Author(s) -
InfanteRivard Claire,
Krieger Monique,
GasconBarré Marielle,
Rivard GeorgesEtienne
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1986.tb04205.x
Subject(s) - medicine , mean corpuscular volume , anemia , hemoglobin , nursing homes , pediatrics , vitamin b12 , gerontology , nursing
All patients 65 years and older who had been living in an institution for at least six months had a measurement of red blood cell folate (RBCF), serum folate (SF), vitamin B 12 , hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular volume. Twenty‐two percent of the 97 studied subjects were found deficient in RBCF, although only 6% had anemia. Length of stay at the institution was significantly associated with deficiency in RBCF and this association was uncon‐founded by age. The proportion of RBCF deficiency among the studied subjects attributable to length of stay is 80%. The prophylactic administration of folate among long‐term nursing home type of patients should be considered.