Folate status in the aged.

Folate deficiency has become a popular topic in geriatric literature recently. There are two main reasons for this interest: folate deficiency is prevalent among the elderly population, and many chronically ill elderly patients suffer from hematologic or neuropsychiatric disorders of which folate deficiency may be one of the causal factors. This article discusses serum, erythrocyte, and liver folate levels, the neurologic and psychiatric symptoms associated with folate deficiency, folate nutrition and absorption in the elderly, and the interrelationships of folate with vitamins, iron, and zinc.