Serial changes in serum folate and total plasma homocysteine concentrations after voluntary folate fortification in Australia in a population based cohort
| Variable | Baseline | Follow up 1 | Compared with baseline* | Follow up 2 | Compared with follow up 1* | Trend over time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 468. *Paired sample t test. tHcy, total plasma homocysteine. | ||||||
| Serum folate (μg/l) (SD) | 7.4 (4.5) | 9.8 (5.1) | p<0.0005 | 10.2 (4.5) | p = 0.124 | p<0.0005 |
| Serum folate <6 μg/l | 39% | 21% | p<0.0005 | 17% | P = 0.005 | p<0.0005 |
| tHcy (μmol/l) (SD) | 11.7 (3.6) | 9.6 (3.3) | p<0.0005 | 9.3 (3.7) | p = 0.004 | p<0.0005 |
| tHcy >13 μmol/l | 29% | 11% | p<0.0005 | 10% | P = 0.755 | p<0.0005 |
| Pearson correlation between serum folate and tHcy | r = −0.26 | r = −0.32 | r = −0.31 | |||
| % Use of folate supplements | 15.4 | 10.7 | p = 0.020 | 20.7 | p<0.0005 | p<0.0005 |