Table 1.
Characteristics of the participants at baseline and after 2 years of intervention with either folic acid and vitamin B12 or placebo
| Folic acid and vitamin B12 (n = 44) | Placebo (n = 43) | |
|---|---|---|
| Baseline characteristics | ||
| Age at baseline (years) | 70.8 ± 2.9 | 71.1 ± 3.0 |
| Women (%) | 25 (57 %) | 22 (51 %) |
| Body mass index (kg/m2) | 27.2 (24.4–29.7) | 28.7 (25.7–31.2) |
| Smoking (%)a | ||
| Former | 25 (57 %) | 31 (72 %) |
| Never | 19 (43 %) | 12 (28 %) |
| MTHFR C677T genotype (%)b | ||
| CC | 22 (50 %) | 20 (47 %) |
| TT | 22 (50 %) | 23 (54 %) |
| Biochemical analyses | ||
| Serum folate levels (nmol/L) | ||
| Baseline | 16.2 (13.1–24.4) | 17.3 (14.1–21.5) |
| After intervention | 52.3 (45.1–67.6) | 23.1 (18.3–26.9) |
| Change | 34.0 (26.5–47.6) | 5.4 (2.0–9.6) |
| Serum vitamin B12 levels (pmol/L) | ||
| Baseline | 279 (232–358) | 300 (204–365) |
| After intervention | 595 (467–814) | 325 (230–449) |
| Change | 319 (197–462) | 30.4 (−12.6–89.5) |
| Plasma homocysteine levels (μmol/L) | ||
| Baseline | 14.7 (13.1–16.3) | 14.9 (13.1–16.3) |
| After intervention | 9.6 (8.5–11.1) | 13.7 (11.8–16.6) |
| Change | −5.3 (−6.7 to −3.4) | −1.5 (−2.4–0.6) |
Data are presented as median (interquartile ranges) or numbers (%). aCurrent smokers were not selected for the study population. bSingle nucleotide polymorphism: rs1801133, participants with the CT genotype were not selected for the current study