American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 13, 201-208, Copyright © 1963 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Effect of Vitamin A on Certain Blood Constituents of Geriatric Subjects

¹ From the Department of Biochemistry, Medical Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia

The effects of vitamin A supplementation on serum levels of vitamin A, carotene, cholesterol and phospholipid, prothrombin time, serum protein and its various fractions were studied at three and six month periods during supplementation and three months after terminating vitamin A administration. The subjects were studied between sixty-four and eighty years of age. A dose of 50,000 I.U. of vitamin A acetate was given twice a day.

The administration of vitamin A significantly increased the serum vitamin A levels, reduced serum carotene levels, increased serum phospholipid levels and reduced initially elevated cholesterol values. No effect was noted on the blood levels of alkaline phosphatase and prothrombin time. The alpha₁ globulin fraction was increased after three months of supplementation. The other serum proteins were not affected.

Three months after discontinuing vitamin A administration, the vitamin A blood levels of the experimental group returned to approximately their initial level.