Association between dietary folate intake and the risk of osteoporosis in adults: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Increased intake of specific vitamins has been linked to a decreased prevalence of osteoporosis. However, the association between dietary folate intake and the risk of osteoporosis in the general population remains incompletely understood. Therefore, we aimed to determine the association between dietary folate intake and the risk of osteoporosis in the general population of the USA. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2017-2020) were collected. Osteoporosis was considered to be indicated by a bone mineral density greater than 2.5 standard deviations below the mean of the young adult reference group. Dietary folate intake was measured by a 24-hour dietary recall. Multivariate logistic regression models and restricted cubic spline models were used. RESULTS: The study included 2297 participants (mean age: 63.69 ± 0.35 years), 49.92% of whom were female. In the general population, increased dietary folate intake was directly associated with a decreased risk of osteoporosis (P for trend = 0.005). In the age > 60 years and female subgroups, folate intake was inversely associated with the risk of osteoporosis (P for trend < 0.001). The dose‒response curve suggested that this association was nonlinear (P for nonlinearity = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: Our cross-sectional study provides initial insights into the inverse association between dietary folate intake and the risk of osteoporosis in the general U.S. POPULATION: Further research is needed to confirm these associations.

Association between dietary folate intake and severe abdominal aorta calcification in adults: A cross-sectional analysis of the national health and nutrition examination survey.

BACKGROUND: Prior studies have established a connection between folate intake and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) has been introduced as a good predictor of CVD events, but no previous study has investigated the relationship between dietary folate intake and severe AAC. Therefore, the study aims to explore the association between dietary folate intake and severe AAC in the United States (US) middle-aged and elderly population. METHODS: This study employed cross-sectional data from the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to examine the relationship between dietary folate intake and severe AAC. Two 24-h dietary recall interviews were conducted to assess dietary folate intake and its sources, while a DXA scan was used to determine the AAC score. To analyze the association between dietary folate intake and severe AAC, a multivariable logistic regression model was applied, and a subgroup analysis was performed. RESULTS: Our analysis utilized data from 2640 participants aged 40 years and above, including 288 individuals diagnosed with severe AAC. After adjusting for confounding factors, we observed an inverted L-shaped association between folate intake and severe AAC. Upon further adjustment for specific confounding factors and covariates, the multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the second, third, and fourth quartiles of folate intake, using the first quartile as the reference, were as follows: 1.24 (0.86-1.79), 0.86 (0.58-1.27), and 0.63 (0.41-0.97), respectively. Subgroup analysis results were consistent with the logistic regression models, indicating concordant findings. Moreover, no significant interaction was observed in the subgroup analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings suggest an inverted L-shaped association between dietary folate intake and severe AAC. However, additional prospective investigations are necessary to explore the impact of dietary folate intake on severe AAC in patients.