Thiamine status of healthy and institutionalized elderly subjects: analysis of dietary intake and biochemical indices.

Thiamine status was assessed in healthy young and elderly subjects and institutionalized elderly patients by measuring dietary intake, erythrocyte levels of thiamine and the activity of the thiamine-dependent enzyme, erythrocyte transketolase, with and without the addition of excess thiamine pyrophosphate (the TPP effect). Healthy elderly subjects had a reduced intake of thiamine compared with the younger subjects but erythrocyte levels of thiamine and the TPP effect were comparable, suggesting adequate thiamine status. The institutionalized elderly patients had a low intake of thiamine compared with the healthy elderly as well as abnormal biochemical indices suggestive of suboptimal thiamine status. Thiamine deficiency does not appear to be a problem in healthy elderly people but those in institutions are at risk of deficiency which might adversely affect their clinical state.