Abstract
The blood vitamin B_6 and niacin levels of 19 elderly in patients admitted for long term (aged 66〜96 years.) and 20 young healthy subjects (aged 19〜35 years.) were determined before and 24 hours after administration of a multivitamin preparation which was composed of 9 mg of pyridoxine hydrochloride, 75 mg of nicotinamide, other vitamins and minerals. 1. The average blood vitamin B_6 level of the elderly group was significantly lower than that of young adult group both before and after administration of the multivitamin preparation. Significant increases of blood vitamin B_6 level were observed after administration in both groups. But neither significant change of erythrocyte GOT (AST) activity nor that of PLP effect was found after administration in both groups. 2. No significant change of blood niacin level was showed after administration in both groups. 3. The average vitamin B_6 intakes of both groups were less than RDA for vitamin B_6 in USA. But dietary vitamin B_6 ratios to protein, indicators of vitamin B_6 nutritional status, were found to be higher than the accepted value for calculation of the RDA (0.016 mg/g protein) in both groups. The average niacion equivalent (NE) intakes of both groups were dominantly more than RDA for NE in Japan respectively. Correlations between the average NE intakes and blood niacin levels were positive in both groups.
