Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the participants in a folic acid and creatine randomized controlled trial.
| Characteristic | Placebo (n= 102) | FA400 (μg) (n = 153) | FA800 (μg) (n = 151) | Creatine (n = 101) | Creatine+FA400 (μg) (n = 103) | p-Valuea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 38.0 ± 7.3b | 39.0 ± 8.0 | 38.2 ± 8.1 | 38.3 ± 8.2 | 38.0 ± 7.7 | 0.85 |
| Male (%) | 50.0 | 50.3 | 49.7 | 50.5 | 50.5 | 0.99 |
| Smoking (%)c | 24.5 | 23.8 | 29.1 | 28.7 | 30.1 | 0.72 |
| Betel nut use (%)c | 28.4 | 23.8 | 24.5 | 24.8 | 20.4 | 0.77 |
| Education (years) | 3.5 ± 3.7 | 3.3 ± 3.6 | 3.5 ± 3.6 | 3.3 ± 3.6 | 3.9 ± 4.1 | 0.85 |
| Owns land (%)d | 46.1 | 50.3 | 48.3 | 47.5 | 43.1 | 0.85 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2)e | 20.4 ± 3.1 | 19.5 ± 2.3 | 19.8 ± 2.7 | 20.0 ± 3.0 | 19.5 ± 2.5 | 0.31 |
| Red blood cell folate (nmol/L) | 483.5 ± 189.0 | 498.4 ± 332.8 | 494.8 ± 172.8 | NAf | NAf | 0.66 |
| Plasma folate (nmol/L) | 16.6 ± 17.2 | 16.7 ± 14.2 | 17.9 ± 15.8 | 16.0 ± 7.9 | 15.4 ± 8.7 | 0.67 |
| Percent folate deficient (< 9 nmol/L in plasma) | 21.6 | 23.5 | 17.9 | 13.9 | 20.4 | 0.38 |
| Plasma B12 (pmol/L) | 225.0 ± 97.2 | 246.4 ± 130.7 | 248.3 ± 141.8 | 255.9 ± 141.0 | 236.9 ± 121.0 | 0.82 |
| Percent B12 deficient (< 151 pmol/L) | 24.5 | 24.2 | 25.8 | 19.8 | 24.3 | 0.87 |
| Plasma homocysteine (μmol/L)g | 13.9 ± 10.8 | 13.6 ± 8.8 | 13.6 ± 10.3 | 12.4 ± 5.5 | 12.8 ± 5.6 | 0.90 |
| Percent hyperhomocysteinemia (≥ 13 μmol/L)g | 42.2 | 36.6 | 39.3 | 38.6 | 37.9 | 0.93 |
| Plasma creatine + creatinine (μmol/L) | 81.3 ± 23.8 | NAh | NAh | 77.3 ± 23.0 | 81.3 ± 28.5 | 0.36 |
| Plasma guanidinoacetate (μmol/L) | 2.05 ± 0.66 | NAh | NAh | 1.95 ± 0.57 | 1.98 ± 0.67 | 0.57 |
| Water As (μg/L)i | 120.4 ± 80.2 | 126.6 ± 83.9 | 131.3 ± 141.6 | 146.6 ± 181.2 | 124.6 ± 76.6 | 0.93 |
| Urinary As (μg/L) | 137.8 ± 136.9 | 160.0 ± 163.7 | 145.3 ± 117.2 | 180.0 ± 211.6 | 177.9 ± 155.1 | 0.08 |
| Urinary As (μg/g Cr) | 303.5 ± 201.8 | 339.5 ± 325.0 | 307.4 ± 182.0 | 328.2 ± 252.6 | 312.1 ± 164.4 | 0.75 |
| Blood As (μg/L) | 9.7 ± 5.7 | 11.0 ± 9.8 | 10.0 ± 5.4 | 10.7 ± 8.2 | 10.5 ± 5.3 | 0.64 |
| Urinary creatinine (mg/dL) | 48.8 ± 35.1 | 57.7 ± 45.2 | 53.8 ± 41.3 | 57.3 ± 36.7 | 62.4 ± 47.2 | 0.26 |
| NA, not available. Values are percent or mean ± SD. aKruskal–Wallis test was used for continuous variables, and chi-squared test for categorical variables. bX̄ ± SD (all such values). cFA400 n = 151. dCr+FA n = 102. ePlacebo n = 101, FA400 n = 150, FA800 n = 148, Cr n= 98, Cr+FA n = 102. fRBC folate only measured in placebo (n = 100), FA400 (n = 149), and FA800 (n = 148) groups. gFA800 n = 150. hCreatine+creatinine and guanidinoacetate only measured in placebo (n = 101), creatine (n = 101), and Cr+FA400 (n = 102) groups. iPlacebo n = 99, FA400 n = 152, Cr+FA n = 100. | ||||||