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- Folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine status in the Korean population: data from the 2013-2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
- Sihan Song, Bo Mi Song, Hyun-Young Park
- Epidemiol Health. 2024;46:e2024007. Published online December 11, 2023
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2024007
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AbstractOBJECTIVES
We aimed to assess the serum folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine status in Korean adolescents and adults using national data.METHODSBlood samples were collected from participants aged ≥10 years in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013-2015. The stored serum samples were used to measure folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine concentrations. A total of 8,016 participants were included in this analysis. Unweighted descriptive statistics and adjusted geometric means of the B vitamins and homocysteine concentrations were estimated.RESULTSFemales had higher serum folate and vitamin B12 concentrations and lower serum homocysteine concentrations than males. Folate deficiency (<6.8 nmol/L) and hyperhomocysteinemia (>15 μmol/L) were found in 8.6% and 11.8% of males, respectively. Approximately 3% of males had low or marginally low vitamin B12 status (≤221 pmol/L). Folate and vitamin B12 deficiencies and hyperhomocysteinemia were found in <2% of females. Suboptimal folate status was prevalent among adolescents and young adults, while suboptimal vitamin B12 status and hyperhomocysteinemia were relatively higher in older adults. Adjusted mean homocysteine concentrations were sharply decreased from the first to second decile of serum folate in males.CONCLUSIONSIn the Korean population, the proportion of males who achieved desirable folate and homocysteine concentrations were lower than those of females. Although most Koreans have adequate vitamin B12, a suboptimal folate status is common, particularly among adolescents and young adults. These findings could establish a foundation for public health initiatives aimed at improving folate levels in the Korean population. -
SummaryKorean summary
엽산과 비타민B12는 전 생애에 걸쳐 건강에 영향을 미치는 필수 비타민이다. 그러나 해당 비타민 상태에 대한 국내 자료는 부족한 실정이다. 본 연구는 국민건강영양조사 참여자로부터 수집된 혈청으로부터 엽산, 비타민B12, 그리고 이들의 기능성 지표인 호모시스테인 농도를 측정하였고 성별과 연령별 분포와 적합 상태를 평가하였다. 엽산 결핍과 고호모시스테인혈증은 남성에서 높은 유병률을 가졌다. 적정 엽산 상태를 충족하지 못하는 비율은 청소년과 젊은 성인에서 흔하게 관찰되었다. 대부분의 한국인은 충분한 비타민B12 수준을 가졌으나, 노인의 경우 정기적인 평가가 필요하다. 본 연구는 한국인이 최적의 엽산과 비타민B12 상태를 유지하기 위한 기반적 근거를 제공한다.Key Message
Folate and vitamin B12 have significant health impacts throughout the life cycle. However, national-level data on B vitamins in Korea are limited. Serum folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine concentrations were measured from samples stored during the national survey. In our study, the proportions of folate deficiency and hyperhomocysteinemia were higher in men than in women.Suboptimal folate status was common among adolescents and young adults. Most Koreans had adequate levels of vitamin B12; however, regular monitoring is warranted, especially in the older population. The current data provide a future direction for achieving optimal B vitamin status in the Korean population.
- Normal Value for Serum Homocysteine and the Prevalence of Hyperhomocysteinemia in a Rural Population.
- Jeong Uk Kim, Hyun Ja Kim, Bo Youl Choi
- Korean J Epidemiol. 2008;30(1):100-109. Published online June 30, 2008
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/kje.2008.30.1.100
- 65,535 View
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- 2 Crossref
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AbstractPURPOSE
Homocysteine is a known independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and its blood levels are influenced by several factors such as race, diet, and lifestyle, so on. Considering these factors, the normal value for total homocysteine has not been determined in Korea. The objective of this study is to establish the normal value for serum total homocysteine and elucidate the prevalence rate of hyperhomocysteinemia by gender and age. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Among the participants of a community-based cohort study conducted in Yangpyeong province, 889 subjects were measured the biochemical analytes including homocysteine. Those who had the medical histories of angina, myocardial infarction and/orstroke, those who had low levels of folate and/or vitamin B12 and those who had high creatinine level were excluded. Finally, 506 subjects were selected as the reference population. A normal value was established with Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute C28-A2 protocol.RESULTSHomocysteine concentrations of total 889 population and 506 reference population were 10.3+/-5.7 micromol/L (1.9 ~ 93.9 micromol/L) and 8.8+/-2.5 micromol/L (4.3 ~ 21.4 micromol/L), respectively. Homocysteine level was significantly higher in men compared to women (P<0.001) and was significantly increased with age. Normal values were 6.7~15.3micromol/L for men and 5.2~12.7 micromol/L for women. With the normal values, the prevalence rates of hyperhomocysteinemia were 13.3% for men and 8.5% for women in total 889 population. The prevalence rate was highest for individuals aged 60 years or older.CONCLUSIONSThese data on homocysteine concentrations are similar to from different countries. The established normal value might be used to evaluate quantitatively the risk for hyperhomocysteinemia. -
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Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
- Major Determinants of Serum Homocysteine Concentrations in a Korean Population
Hyun Ja Kim, Mi Kyung Kim, Jeong Uk Kim, Hun Young Ha, Bo Youl Choi
Journal of Korean Medical Science.2010; 25(4): 509. CrossRef - Prevalence of Hyperhomocysteinemia and Related Factors in a Community-based Health Examination Survey: A Cross-sectional Study
Soo Jeong Kim, Kyung Sook Lim, Mi Sook Song, Yeonji Kang, Soon Young Lee
Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health.2009; 42(5): 337. CrossRef
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