Functionality of patients with post-stroke hemiplegia: Does serum folate level matter?

Özet

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the possible effects of folate on the functional outcomes of patients with post-stroke hemiplegia.Patients and methods: Between January 2012 and March 2015, a total of 80 patients with hemiplegia (51 males, 29 females; mean age60.3±13.2 years; range, 19 to 95 years) at least three months post-stroke were included in this study. Serum folate levels (ng/mL), Brunnstromrecovery stages of the lower limb, and Functional Ambulation Category (FAC) scores were recorded. All patients were divided into two groupsaccording to the Brunnstrom stages (Category I; Stage 1-3 and Category II; Stage 4-6) and FAC scores (non-functional ambulatory; score 0-2,functional ambulatory; score 3-5).Results: The mean serum folate level of the patient group was 6.8±2.8 ng/mL. Serum folate levels differed significantly between theBrunnstrom categories with lower levels in patients with poorer motor recovery (Category I) (p=0.047). Folate levels were also lower in nonfunctional ambulatory patients than those in patients with functional ambulation (p=0.046).Conclusion: Lower serum folate levels are associated with poorer ambulation potential and impaired lower limb motor recovery in patientswith post-stroke hemiplegia.