Deficient folate nutritional status and cognitive performances: Results from a retrospective study in male elderly inpatients in a geriatric department

A retrospective study was carried out on folate nutritional status in 93 ma le elderly inpatients in a geriatric department. These patients underwent a radioimmunological assay of serum folate (SF) and erythrocyte folate (EF) concentrations. The physiological concentration reference ranges for SF and EF were, 3-15 and 130-630 ng/ml, respectively. The aim of the study was to verify a possible association between deficient folate nutritional status and cognitive impairment, first of all, through a metabolic pathway in brai n, by employing the short portable mental status questionnaire (SPMSQ). Pat ients who suffered from pathologies as atrial fibrillation, acute and chron ic cerebral vascular disease, advanced chronic hepatophaty, vitamin B-12 de ficiency and cognitive impairment referred by the carers, longer-lasting th an 6 months, were not enclosed in the statistical analysis. Sixty-one males (65.6 %) were deficient at least in one vitamin portion studied (SF and/or EF). A deficient folate status was encountered only in 38 subjects (40.6 % ) with EF < 130 ng/ml, this was called the pathological group (PG); 32 subj ects (34.4 %) with normal values formed the control group (CG). By excludin g the above mentioned pathologies, 10 males remained with a deficient folat e nutritional status, and 12 patients with physiological folate status desi gnated as PGf and CGf groups, respectively. These groups were compared in a statistical analysis where the mean SPMSQ scores were 7.1 +/- 1.1 and 8.41 +/- 0.95, respectively, (p = 0.008). The results showed a slight cognitive impairment in subjects with a deficient folate status. It is supposed that a deficient folate status may play an independent key role in the onset an d progression of cognitive impairment.