The effects did not differ by sex or by age group .
Conclusions Evidence on the effects of supplementation of low concentrations of vitamin B12 and folate on haematological parameters in community-dwelling older people is inconclusive .
Background / objectives Low vitamin B12 and folate levels in community-dwelling older people are usually corrected with supplements .
However , the effect of this supplementation on haematological parameters in older persons is not known .
Clinical Trial of the Effect of Vitamin B12 in Elderly Subjects with Low Serum B12 Levels
A clinical trial of the effect of vitamin B12 therapy was conducted in 39 elderly subjects who had been found , in a community screening survey , to have low levels of serum B12 without a macrocytic anaemia or neuropathy . The study produced no evidence which suggests that in such subjects B12 is superior to placebo in effecting an improvement in psychiatric state or general well-being . There was a clear tendency for all the subjects to show an improvement during the trial , but this probably represents the therapeutic effect of involvement in a research exercise of this kind
The effects did not differ by sex or by age group .
Conclusions Evidence on the effects of supplementation of low concentrations of vitamin B12 and folate on haematological parameters in community-dwelling older people is inconclusive .
Background / objectives Low vitamin B12 and folate levels in community-dwelling older people are usually corrected with supplements .
However , the effect of this supplementation on haematological parameters in older persons is not known .