ArticleHematology, transfusion and cell therapy
Prevalence of low folate deficiency after wheat flour supplementation - should we still measure serum folate?
Article in Hematology, transfusion and cell therapy. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 4 citations in OpenAlex.
- Global folate deficiency among adolescent girls: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2026Pooled it
- Normal-But-Low Serum Folate Levels and the Risks for Cognitive Impairment.Psychiatry investigation · 2019Article
- It is never too late to rethink serum folate.Hematology, transfusion and cell therapyArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo determine the frequency of folic acid deficiency in consecutive serum folate determinations and to determine whether there was a significant decrease in serum folate deficiency after folate was added to wheat flour.
methodsA retrospective descriptive observational study was performed of consecutive folate measurements at the Hospital Privado Universitario, Cordoba, Argentina.
resultsTwo cohorts were analyzed: 1197 folate measurements between 2001 and 2008 (before supplementation) and 3335 folate measurements from 2009 to 2014 (after supplementation). Folate deficiency was found in 84/1197 (7%) subjects in the pre-supplementation group and in 58/3335 (1.73%) after supplementation. The prevalence of folate deficiency was 12% between 2001 and 2003 when folate was not added to flour compared to 4% in 2004-2007 (
conclusionsIn the studied population, the prevalence of serum folic acid deficiency after folate supplementation was low at 1.73%. There was a significant decrease in folate deficiency after folate was added to wheat flour. Given the low prevalence of folic acid deficiency observed in this and similar studies, and the observed change with supplementation, we conclude that routine measurement of serum folate is of limited clinical use.
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Registered trials
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