Department of Medicine F, Rabin Medical Center (Beilinson Campus), Petah Tikva, Israel.
Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Isr Med Assoc J. 2021 Jan;23(1):17-22.
Low folate levels are associated with megaloblastic anemia, neural tube defects, and an increased risk of cancer. Data are scarce regarding the sex aspect of this deficiency.
To assess sex differences in folate levels in a large cohort of patients and to investigate the effect of low folate levels on homocysteine concentrations.
Data were collected from medical records of patients examined at a screening center in Israel between 2000 and 2014. Cross sectional analysis was conducted on 9214 males and 4336 females.
The average age was 48.4 ± 9.5 years for males and 47.6 ± 9.4 years for females. Average folate levels were 19.2 ± 8.6 and 22.4 ±10.3 nmol/L in males and females, respectively (P < 0.001). The prevalence of folate levels below 12.2 nmol/L was 19.5% in males compared to 11.6% in females (P < 0.001). In patients with low folate levels and normal B12 levels, homocysteine levels above 15 μmol/L were found in 32.4% of males and 11.4% of females (P < 0.001). Males had a significantly higher odds ratio (OR) of having folate levels below 12.2 nmol/L: OR 1.84 (95% confidence interval [95%CI] 1.66-2.05) in a non-adjusted model, and OR 2.02 (95%CI 1.82-2.27) adjusted for age, smoking status, body mass index, kidney function, albumin, and triglycerides levels.
Folate levels are lower in males compared to females, which may contribute to the higher homocysteine levels found in males and thus to their increased risk of developing atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease.
低叶酸水平与巨幼细胞性贫血、神经管缺陷和癌症风险增加有关。关于这种缺乏症的性别方面的数据很少。
评估大量患者中叶酸水平的性别差异，并研究低叶酸水平对同型半胱氨酸浓度的影响。
数据来自 2000 年至 2014 年间在以色列筛查中心接受检查的患者的病历。对 9214 名男性和 4336 名女性进行了横断面分析。
男性的平均年龄为 48.4 ± 9.5 岁，女性为 47.6 ± 9.4 岁。男性和女性的平均叶酸水平分别为 19.2 ± 8.6 和 22.4 ± 10.3 nmol/L（P < 0.001）。男性叶酸水平低于 12.2 nmol/L 的患病率为 19.5%，女性为 11.6%（P < 0.001）。在叶酸水平低且 B12 水平正常的患者中，男性中同型半胱氨酸水平高于 15 μmol/L 的比例为 32.4%，女性为 11.4%（P < 0.001）。男性叶酸水平低于 12.2 nmol/L 的可能性显著高于女性：未调整模型中 OR 为 1.84（95%置信区间 [95%CI] 1.66-2.05），调整年龄、吸烟状况、体重指数、肾功能、白蛋白和甘油三酯水平后 OR 为 2.02（95%CI 1.82-2.27）。
与女性相比，男性的叶酸水平较低，这可能导致男性同型半胱氨酸水平升高，从而增加其发生动脉粥样硬化和冠心病的风险。
