Search

In the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES I) there were 3,479 persons aged 65-74 years corresponding to 12,773,000 in this age group in the total population. Presented here are major findings on the nutritional status of this age group in respect to 1) dietary intake (based on a 24-hour recall) and dietary frequency, 2) selected biochemical and hematological tests, 3) prevalences of clinical signs associated with deficiencies of nine essential nutrients, and 4) selected anthropometric measurements. These findings will be presented by sex, two racial groups (black and white), and two income groups (poverty index ratio (PIR) below and above unity). Some correlations between clinical signs and dietary intake comparing persons with signs and those without signs are shown. Some trends between dietary intake and biochemical values, on the one hand, and biochemical values and clinical signs, on the other hand, will be touched upon. The findings are discussed in relation to dietary adequacy and nutritional risk of the different subgroups. Some paradoxical results are discussed and the need for urgent research on the so-called secondary or conditioned deficiencies specifically in this age group are pointed out.

Mean serum magnesium values with one standard deviation are presented for 224 women during pregnancy and 1559 women taking birth control pills, with 4145 women, aged 15-49 years, as controls. In addition, similar data are presented for 2,884 women, aged 50-74 years, after menopause. All these women were surveyed in the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the United States of America, 1971-1974 (NHANES I). Information on use of birth control pills is based on two questions taken from the NHANES I medical history interview. Pregnant women had significantly lower serum magnesium values than controls (nonpregnant and no birth control pills), regardless of age or race. Women on the pill also showed significantly lower serum magnesium values than other nonpregnant women of similar age, but the differences were much smaller than those between pregnant women and controls. Women older than 50 years (postmenopausal women) had significantly higher serum magnesium values than premenopausal women. These findings are compared with similar findings from other studies in the United States and other parts of the world.

Serum magnesium has been determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in a national sample of the United States population between 1971 and 1974. Mean values and percentile distributions are presented for ages 1-74 in males and females in two racial groups. Mean values decreased in both sexes from age 1 to ages 12-24. In females, they increased again after age 25, while males showed little change after age 17. Small sex differences were observed between ages 18 and 45, with men having higher levels than women. Both white males and females had higher serum levels than black males and females of the same age. These differences were statistically significant in many age groups, particularly in young and middle-aged adults. These data are unique inasmuch as they represent the only broad population measurements of serum magnesium in the United States. No comparable data exist as far as is known. The values shown can be considered as normative for the U.S. population. A review of the literature with comparable data was done and results are included; a discussion of the findings from these studies is presented.