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Concentrations of plasma methylmalonic acid in 80-year-olds show only weak relation to psychological performance

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Author

  • Björn Hultberg
  • Elmo Jensen
  • Ove Dehlin
  • Bo Hagberg
  • Gillis Samuelsson
  • Torbjörn Svensson

Summary, in English

Most studies of the relation between psychological performance in the elderly and deficiencies of cobalamin and folate have used methods that determine the blood concentrations of these vitamins, which might not reflect the vitamin status in the tissues. Recently, two new markers, plasma homocysteine and methylmalonic acid, have attracted growing interest since they are considered to reflect the status of cobalamins and folates in the tissues. In a previous study, we noted a strong association between five parameters of well-being and lower concentrations of plasma homocysteine. In the present study, we have extended these observations by determination of plasma methylmalonic acid in the same healthy elderly population. In the present study, 18 out of 100 subjects had increased plasma methylmalonic acid and in 7 of these subjects, the concentrations of serum cobalamin, blood folate, plasma homocysteine and serum creatinine were within normal limits. The relation between plasma methylmalonic acid concentrations and concentrations of serum cobalamin and blood folates and five parameters of well-being were investigated. Concentrations of plasma methylmalonic acid were only weakly associated with the concentrations of serum cobalamin and lower scores on the logical reasoning test. The present study clearly shows that the levels of plasma methylmalonic acid show a much lesser association with the parameters of well-being than did plasma homocysteine.

Publishing year

1999

Language

English

Pages

963-967

Publication/Series

Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine

Volume

37

Issue

10

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

De Gruyter

Topic

  • Clinical Laboratory Medicine

Keywords

  • Elderly
  • Methylmalonic acid
  • Plasma
  • Psychology
  • Quality of life

Status

Published

Research group

  • Geriatric Medicine
  • Sustainable occupations and health in a life course perspective

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1434-6621