The diagnosis of nutritional follc acid deficiency

Abstract

The difficulties of diagnosing nutritional folk acid deficiency from a dietary history were described and evidence was given to show the inaccuracy of the method in a group of 34 patients. In a geriatric population, where one might expect a raised incidence of nutritional disorders, a relationship was demonstrated between folate depletion and the ability of patients to look after themselves, as judged on clinical and social grounds. Data were given in support of this from a group of 67 patients. In practice, the diagnosis of nutritional folic acid deficiency is made by exclusion but intestinal malabsorption can be difficult to eliminate as a cause. Results were presented of tritiated folic acid absorption tests and jejunal biopsy in a small group of folate-deficient patients. The frequency of nutritional folic acid deficiency as a cause of megaloblastic anaemia was discussed, and the importance of pre-anaemic folic acid deficiency illustrated by a short case report.