Pantothenic Acid and Age

Abstract

A mass-survey of the pantothenic acid content in blood, the alkaline phosphatase activity and the total cholesterol content in serum was undertaken in an agrarian area with some 200 of the inhabitants over 30 years of age as subjects. The physiological age of the subjects was also estimated. The mean pantothenic acid content in blood remained nearly stationary from 30 to 60 years but fell off gradually thereafter among males, while among females, the content went on declining with age, the mean value in the age classes of above 60 years showing significant drop at the level of significance below 5% from that in the age classes of 30-39 and 40-49 years. The activity of alkaline phosphatase in serum was found rising with advance of age above 50 years among both sexes, the mean value of above 60 years among females being significantly higher than that of 40-49 years among females. The total cholesterol content in serum tended to increase with age, but not significantly. The pantothenic acid content among females was found correlated negatively with their calender age, physiological age, and age estimated by outward looks, at the level of significance below 1, 5 and 1 per cent, respectively. A significant negative correlation could be found between the activity of alkaline phosphatase in serum and the pantothenic acid content in blood, at the level of below 10%. No significant correlation was observed between the total cholesterol content in serum and the pantothenic acid content in blood.