Thiamine deficiency is prevalent in a selected group of urban Indonesian elderly people

This cross-sectional study involved 204 elderly individuals (93 males and 1 11 females). Subjects were randomly recruited using a list on which all 60- 75 y-old-people living in seven sub-villages in Jakarta were included. The usual food intake was estimated using semiquantitative food frequency quest ionnaires. Hemoglobin, plasma retinol, vitamin B-12, red blood cell folate and the percentage stimulation of erythrocyte transketolase (ETK), as an in dicator of thiamine status, were analyzed. Median energy intake was below t he assessed requirement, More than 75% of the subjects had iron and thiamin e intakes of similar to 2/3 of the recommended daily intake, and 20.2% of t he study population had folate intake of similar to 2/3 of the recommended daily intake. Intakes of vitamins a and B-12 were adequate. Biochemical ass essments demonstrated that 36.6% of the subjects had low thiamine levels (E TK stimulation > 25%). The elderly men tended to have lower thiamine levels than the elderly women. The overall prevalence of anemia was 28.9%, and th e elderly women were affected more than the elderly men. Low biochemical st atus of vitamins 8, B-12 and RBC folate was found in 5.4%, 8.8 % and 2.9% o f the subjects, respectively. Dietary intakes of thiamine and folate were a ssociated with ETK stimulation and plasma vitamin B-12 concentration (r = 0 .176, P = 0.012 and r = 0.77, P = 0.001), respectively. Results of this stu dy suggest that anemia, thiamine and possibly vitamin B-12 deficiency are p revalent in the elderly living in Indonesia. Clearly, micronutrient supplem entation may be beneficial for the Indonesian elderly population living in underprivileged areas.