Serum folate and vitamin B[12] status in healthy Iranian adults

ABSTRACT

To assess the serum folate and vitamin B[12] status in healthy Iranian adults, we designed a population-based cross-sectional study of 1200 individuals aged 20-80 years. Finally 984 participants [507 men and 477 women] were assessed. The mean serum folate was 4.61 [SD 2.40] ng/mL and the mean serum vitamin B[12] level was 265.6 [SD 170.9] pg/mL. Overall 1.0% were folate deficient and 25.8% had low vitamin B[12] levels according to the manufacturer's reference ranges [folate < 1.5 ng/mL and vitamin B[12] < 160 pg/mL]. The mean serum folate and vitamin B[12] levels were significantly lower in men. The prevalence of vitamin B[12] deficiency was considerably higher than folate deficiency. Implementation of preventive measures seems to be necessary