Table 4.

Annual QALYs and costs (millions of dollars) associated with U.S. folic acid fortification, by gender, age, and race/ethnicity.

Strategya	Non-Hispanic White		Non-Hispanic Black		Mexican-American
	QALYs	Costs	QALYs	Costs	QALYs	Costs
Men aged 15-44 y
140 mcg/100 g	3,041	−$45.23	506	−$7.50	265	−$3.86
350 mcg/100 g	7,241	−$108.51	1,849	−$27.84	551	−$8.11
700 mcg/100 g	9,078	− $135.52	2,996	− $45.19	600	− $8.72
Men aged 45-64 y
140 mcg/100 g	12,939	−$194.42	2,336	−$35.05	642	−$9.65
350 mcg/100 g	31,967	−$482.75	6,846	−$103.34	1,700	−$25.68
700 mcg/100 g	41,703	− $630.77	10,745	− $162.67	2,358	− $35.68
Men aged 65+ y
140 mcg/100 g	13,204	−$190.82	1,663	−$24.61	334	−$4.94
350 mcg/100 g	38,477	−$569.02	3,394	−$50.56	860	−$12.79
700 mcg/100 g	59,677	− $888.08	5,129	− $76.52	1,483	− $22.15
Women aged 15-44 y
140 mcg/100 g	2,627	−$27.21	532	−$6.18	1,068	−$10.17
350 mcg/100 g	13,404	−$141.13	1,923	−$22.68	4,426	−$43.23
700 mcg/100 g	22,210	− $233.64	3,722	−$43.99	5,964	− $57.89
Women aged 45-64 y
140 mcg/100 g	5,335	−$78.24	802	−$11.60	113	−$1.61
350 mcg/100 g	16,605	−$251.04	3,998	−$60.75	412	−$6.10
700 mcg/100 g	24,415	− $372.64	10,916	− $169.90	1,017	− $15.45
Women aged 65+ y
140 mcg/100 g	6,295	−$79.78	87	−$0.38	48	−$0.58
350 mcg/100 g	18,833	−$262.02	192	−$1.52	95	−$1.26
700 mcg/100 g	42,384	− $618.09	924	− $9.45	279	− $3.86

^aStrategies labeled by amount of fortification in mcg of folic acid added per 100 g of enriched grain product.

QALYs, quality-adjusted-life-years; mcg, micrograms; g, grams