Haematologica, Vol 92, Issue 4, 562-563 doi:10.3324/haematol.10859
Copyright © 2007 by Ferrata Storti Foundation
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Red Cell Disorders

Cough mixture abuse as a novel cause of folate deficiency: a prospective, community-based, controlled study

Wing-yan Au*,+,, Suk-Kwan Tsang@,+, Ben K.L. Cheung@, Tak-Shing Siu°, Edmond S.K. Ma#, Sidney Tam°

* Departments of Medicine, Clinical Biochemistry Unit and
° Department of Pathology,
# Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong and Department of Psychiatry,
@ Kwai Chung Hospital

Correspondence: Wing-yan Au, Professorial Block, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, PRC. Phone: international +852. 28553975. Fax: international +852.28726896. E-mail: auwing{at}hotmail.com

Cough mixture abuse has been reported to cause severe folate deficiency and neurological defects. We carried out a prospective case-controlled survey to confirm this association and define the incidence and severity of the problem. A total of 57 cough mixture abusers and 47 other substance abusers (controls) were studied. When compared with controls, cough mixture abusers had a high incidence of low folate levels that could only be detected by screening.

Key words: cough mixture, folate deficiency, homocysteine.