Vitamin B12 and folate and the risk of anemia in old age: the Leiden 85-Plus Study

WPJ den Elzen, RGJ Westendorp… - Archives of Internal …, 2008 - jamanetwork.com
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 prospective
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 …