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[Interrelations between serum folic acid and hematologic changes in psychiatric patients]
Folia Haematologica (Leipzig, Germany : 1928)
|January 1, 1980
Summary
Psychiatric patients often have low folic acid levels, especially those with anemia or taking certain medications. Monitoring folic acid is crucial for managing these conditions.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Biochemistry
- Hematology
- Psychiatry
Context:
- Investigated blood parameters, serum folic acid, and iron in 223 psychiatric patients with psychoses and dementia.
- Examined 29 patients receiving phenobarbiturate-type psychopharmaka, dihydrophenytoin, or primidone.
- Identified anemia in 32 patients (3 hyperchromic, 25 normochromic, 4 hypochromic).
Purpose:
- To assess the prevalence of altered blood counts and serum nutrient levels in psychiatric patients.
- To determine the relationship between psychopharmaka use and serum folic acid and iron concentrations.
- To evaluate the diagnostic significance of low folic acid and iron in psychiatric conditions.
Summary:
- A significant percentage of anemic patients (78.1%) exhibited low folic acid levels.
- All patients with hypochromic anemia and all cases of neutrophilic hypersegmentation (28.4%) had low serum folic acid.
- 76.2% of all patients showed low serum folic acid, with all psychopharmaka users exhibiting subnormal levels; low iron was less common (8.1%).
Impact:
- Highlights the high incidence of folic acid deficiency in psychiatric patients, particularly those with anemia or on specific medications.
- Suggests that serum folic acid levels are a more sensitive indicator than serum iron in this patient population.
- Recommends routine determination of serum folic acid concentration in at-risk psychiatric patients for improved diagnosis and management.