Loading...
Iron, folate and vitamin B12 status of an elderly South African population
Iron, folate and vitamin B12 status of an elderly South African population
Charlton, K.E. Kruger, M. Labadarios, D. Aronson, I.
Charlton, K.E.
Kruger, M.
Labadarios, D.
Aronson, I.
Abstract
Objectives: To determine the prevalence of anaemia and the haemopoietic nutrient status of older mixed
ancestry (coloured) South Africans.
Design: A cross-sectional analytic study.
Subjects: A random sample of 200 non-institutionalized subjects aged 65 y of age, resident in urban Cape
Town, was drawn using a two-stage cluster design.
Methods: Trained ®eldworkers interviewed subjects to obtain demographic and lifestyle data. Dietary intake
was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Fasting blood samples were drawn for the
determination of haematological parameters, serum vitamin B12, serum folate, RBC folate and a full blood count.
Results: The prevalence of anaemia was 13.9. Eight of the 26 cases of anaemia (31) were associated with
suboptimal haemopoietic nutrient status; 2(25) and 3(38) cases of these 8 anaemic subjects had suboptimal
vitamin B12 and folate status, respectively. Iron de®ciency anaemia accounted for 5(63) of the subjects with
nutrition-related anaemia. Ten men and two women (6.5 of subjects) had raised serum ferritin concentrations,
half of whom had abnormal biochemical parameters indicative of alcohol abuse.
Conclusions: Older coloured South Africans, particularly women, should be encouraged to eat diets with a high
nutrient density and to consume adequate amounts of foods high in iron, folate and vitamin B12. Further
investigation regarding the high prevalence of hyperferritinaemia found in the men in this population is
indicated.
Sponsorship: Financial assistance from the HSRC/UCT Centre for Gerontology, the South African Sugar
Association, the Zerilda Steyn Memorial Trust and the Medical Research Council (DL) for this project is
acknowledged.
Descriptors: vitamin B12; ferritin; folate; anaemia; elderly; South Africans
Description
Date
1997
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Basingstoke: Nature Publishing
Collections
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Keywords
Nutrition, obesity, metabolic disorders , Biological and medical sciences , Medical sciences , Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases , Diseases of red blood cells , Anemias. Hemoglobinopathies , Hemopathy , Sideropenia , Iron deficiency anemia , Clinical biology , Epidemiology , Nutritional status , Risk factor , Iron ion , Ferritin , Folate , Human , Hydroxocobalamin , Prevalence , Elderly
Citation
CHARLTON KE, KRUGER M, LABADARIOS D, WOLMARANS P, ARONSON I. Iron, folate and vitamin B12 status of an elderly South African population. European journal of clinical nutrition [Internet].