Folic acid fortification of the food supply: potential benefits and risks for the elderly population
Article Abstract:
The FDA's proposal to fortify cereal with 140 micrograms of folic acid per 100 grams of cereal should reduce the risk of heart disease without substantially increasing the complications of vitamin B12 deficiency. Research from the Framingham Heart Study shows that folic acid fortification at this level will reduce blood homocysteine levels, which have been linked to heart disease at high levels. However, folic acid supplementation can mask the symptoms of anemia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. More research is needed on the proper level of folic acid fortification.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1996
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Nonfasting Plasma Total Homocysteine Levels and Stroke Incidence in Elderly Persons: The Framingham Study
Article Abstract:
An elevated homocysteine level in the blood, known to be connected to various cardiovascular diseases, also seems to be a risk factor for stroke among older people. A total of 1,158 women and 789 men with an average age of 70 years were tested for homocysteine levels and followed for 9.9 years. The incidence of stroke rose in direct proportion to the level of homocysteine in the individual's blood. The group was divided into four parts, from lowest levels to highest. Those in the highest were almost twice as likely to have a stroke as those in the lowest group.
Publication Name: Annals of Internal Medicine
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0003-4819
Year: 1999
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- Abstracts: The association between hospital volume and survival after acute myocardial infarction in elderly patients. Association between cholesterol level and mortality in dialysis patients: role of inflammation and malnutrition
- Abstracts: Relation of alleles of the collagen type I alpha 1 gene to bone density and the risk of osteoporotic fractures in postmenopausal women