Micronutrient status in elderly people. Geriatrie/Min. Vit. Aux Network.

A biochemical assessment of the vitamin and trace element status of 756 institutionalized elderly men and women, 66-103 years old (average 83.5 +/- 7.6 y), was conducted in 26 nursing homes in different areas of France. Serum concentrations of beta- and alpha-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, retinol, alpha- and gamma-tocopherol, vitamin C, zinc and selenium were measured. A difference in biochemical markers according to sex was observed for vitamins E and C: elderly women had higher levels of alpha-tocopherol and vitamin C than elderly men. When expressed as a ratio of cholesterol, the difference between sexes for alpha-tocopherol disappeared. Simple regression analysis showed that most vitamins and trace elements were significantly negatively correlated with age. A high prevalence of low concentrations of vitamin C, zinc and selenium was revealed.