Geriatric mental function and serum folate: a review and survey

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Gerontology
• Nutritional Neuroscience

Background:

• Folic acid (folate) metabolism is increasingly linked to mental disturbances.
• Clinical observations suggest a correlation between aging-related cognitive decline and reduced serum folate levels.
• Further research is warranted to explore this relationship in the elderly population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between serum folate levels and cognitive function in older adults.
• To determine if serum folate levels naturally decline with age.
• To identify factors associated with lowered serum folate in the elderly.

Main Methods:

• Compared fasting serum folate levels in two groups of subjects aged 65 and older.
• Excluded participants using certain drugs, alcohol, or with gastrointestinal diseases.
• Assessed dietary habits and mental acuity of the participants.

Main Results:

• Elderly individuals with good dietary habits and mental acuity showed no lowered serum folate levels.
• The hypothesis that serum folate levels normally decrease with age was not supported.
• 35% of elderly subjects with both mental dysfunction and poor dietary habits had reduced serum folate levels.

Conclusions:

• Serum folate levels in the elderly are not inherently reduced by aging.
• Poor dietary habits and mental dysfunction, rather than age, are associated with lower folate levels in seniors.
• Maintaining good nutrition and cognitive health may be important for folate status in older adults.