Vitamin B-6 intakes and status assessment of elderly men and women in Taiwan

Studies nave indicated that vitamin B-6 status,decreases With age. However little is known about vitamin B-6 status of elderly people in Taiwan. The p urpose of this study, was to assess vitamin B-6 status of elderly Taiwanese and to examine the effect of protein on various indices of vitamin B-6 sta tus in the elderly. Thirty-nine men (mean age = 69.9 +/- 4.2 years) and 55 women (mean age 69.5 +/- 3.9 years) completed a 24-h diet recall The mean t otal vitamin B6 intake (men: 1.7 +/- 0.9 g/day: women: 1.6 +/- 1.2 g/day) w as higher than the 1998 US Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) and the current Taiwan Recommended Daily Nutrient Allowance (RDNA). Dietary energy and prot ein intakes were not related to any vitamin B-6 status parameters in any se x groups and the pooled group. Vitamin B-6 intake correlated only with eryt hrocyte aspartate transaminase activity coefficient (EAST-AC) in the pooled (r = -0.214, p < 0.05) group. There were no significant differences in pla sma pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP), erythrocyte alanine transaminase activity coefficient (EALT-AC), and EAST-AC be tween sex groups. Although elderly s ubjects had adequate mean plasma PLP concentrations, 59% of men and 55% of women had plasma PLP concentrations lower than. a cutoff of 20, nmol/L. The mean EALT-AC < 1.25 in two groups with adequate vitamin B-6 status. Howeve r, 23% of men and 18% of women had EALT-AC values > 1.25. The mean EAST-AC value of subjects was higher, than the suggested value (< 1.8) for inadequa te vitamin B-6 status. The incidence of biochemical vitamin B-6 deficiency, in our elderly is probably more relevant from other causes than from dieta ry intake of protein and vitamin B-6.