Applying inappropriate cutoffs leads to misinterpretation of folate status in the US population.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Folate cutoffs for risk of deficiency compared with possible deficiency were originally derived differently (experimental compared with epidemiologic data), and their interpretations are different. The matching of cutoffs derived from one assay with population-based data derived from another assay requires caution.

Objective

We assessed the extent of folate-status misinterpretation with the use of inappropriate cutoffs.

Design

In the cross-sectional NHANES, serum and red blood cell (RBC) folate were first measured with the use of a radioprotein-binding assay (RPBA) (1988-2006) and, afterwards, with the use of a microbiologic assay (2007-2010). We compared prevalence estimates for assay-matched cutoffs (e.g., with the use of an RPBA cutoff with RPBA data) an

SUBMITTER: Pfeiffer CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5693380 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature