TABLE 2.

Circulating vitamin and trace mineral concentrations in elderly Ecuadorians stratified by gender¹

Micronutrient	Reference range2	Men (n = 125)	Women (n = 224)	Men	Women
				% deficient
Serum vitamin A, μmol/L	1.05–3.14	1.92 ± 0.48*	1.78 ± 0.43	0.8	4.1
Plasma vitamin D, nmol/L	39.0–98.7	57.1 ± 15.7**	49.3 ± 13.6	18.8¶	9.4
Serum vitamin E, μmol/L	11.6–41.8	27.4 ± 7.0†	30.4 ± 9.1	0	0
Plasma vitamin C, μmol/L	11.4–125	11.4 ± 9.1**	17.0 ± 10.2	59.8**	32.6
Plasma vitamin B-6,nmol/L	30–117	42.6 ± 20.0†	52.3 ± 28.5	27	16.1
Plasma vitamin B-12, pmol/L	184–884	300.4 ± 157.7	325.5 ± 169.9	20.5	19.6
Plasma folate, nmol/L	11.3–68.0	13.13 ± 4.7††	15.0 ± 6.1	37	27.4
Serum copper, μmol/L	Female 13.2–24.0	18.5 ± 5.2	19.4 ± 5.3	16.7	12.4
	Male 13.2–21.7
Serum iron, μmol/L	Female 8.95–30.4	23.4 ± 9.0**	19.9 ± 8.2	4	5
	Male 11.6–31.3
Serum zinc, μmol/L	10.7–19.9	11.6 ± 3.4	11.4 ± 3.6	41.3	45.4

¹Values are mean ± SD. *P = 0.004, **P < 0.001, ^†P = 0.001, ^††P = 0.003, ^¶P = 0.02.

²18.