Vitamin C status of institutionalised and non-institutionalised aged.

The vitamin C status of 186 elderly subjects living at home and institutionalised in hospital, residential accommodation and sheltered dwelling was studied. Subjects from hospital and home receiving multivitamin supplements regularly were grouped separately. Ascorbic acid deficiency (plasma ascorbic acid less than or equal to 0.3 mg/100 ml) was noted in 47.2, 39.0, 46.2 and 47.4 per cent subjects of home, hospital, residential accommodation and sheltered dwelling, respectively. All subjects receiving multi-vitamin had plasma ascorbic acid (PAA) levels greater than or equal to 0.3 mg/100 ml. The mean levels of PAA appeared higher in females than males and the percentage incidence of low vitamin C status was higher in males than females in the majority of the groups. Leucocyte ascorbic acid (LAA) levels were measured in only 26 subjects of residential accommodation and of these 38.5 per cent had low LAA levels (less than 15 microgram/10(8) cells). The biochemical vitamin C deficiency was not accompanied by any recognised clinical manifestation.