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 .
Vitamin B12 and folate and the risk of anemia in old age: the Leiden 85-Plus Study.
BACKGROUND Screening for deficiencies in vitamin B(12 ) and folate is advocated to prevent anemia in very elderly individuals . However , the effects of vitamin B(12 ) and folate deficiency on the development of anemia in old age have not yet been established . METHODS The current study is embedded in the Leiden 85-Plus Study , a population -based prospect i ve study of subjects aged 85 years . Levels of vitamin B(12 ) , folate , and homocysteine were determined at baseline . Hemoglobin levels and mean corpuscular volume ( MCV ) were determined annually during 5 years of follow-up . RESULTS We analyzed data from 423 subjects who did not use any form of cyanocobalamin , hydroxocobalamin , or folic acid supplementation , neither at baseline nor during follow-up . Folate deficiency ( < 7 nmol/L ; n = 34 ) and elevated homocysteine levels ( > 13.5 mumol/L ; n = 194 ) were associated with anemia at baseline ( adjusted odds ratio [ OR ] , 2.44 ; 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] , 1.06 - 5.61 ; and adjusted OR , 1.82 ; 95 % CI , 1.08 - 3.06 , respectively ) , but vitamin B(12 ) deficiency ( < 150 pmol/L ; n = 68 ) was not ( adjusted OR , 1.51 ; 95 % CI , 0.79 - 2.87 ) . Furthermore , vitamin B(12 ) deficiency was not associated with the development of anemia during follow-up ( adjusted HR , 0.92 ; 95 % CI , 0.46 - 1.82 ) or with changes in MCV ( adjusted linear mixed model ; P = .77 ) . Both folate deficiency and elevated homocysteine levels were associated with the development of anemia from age 85 years onward ( adjusted HR , 3.33 ; 95 % CI , 1.55 - 7.14 ; and adjusted HR , 1.70 ; 95 % CI , 1.01 - 2.88 , respectively ) , but not with an increase in MCV over time ( P > .30 ) . CONCLUSION In the general population of very elderly individuals , anemia in 85-year-old subjects is associated with folate deficiency and elevated homocysteine levels but not with vitamin B(12 ) deficiency
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 .