OBJECTIVE Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are important for the treatment of epilepsy, psychiatric diseases, and pain syndromes. Small studies have suggested that AED treatment reduces serum levels of folate and vitamin B12. METHODS This prospective monocenter study aimed at testing the hypothesis that AED treatment is associated with folate and vitamin B12 serum levels in a large population. A to...

BACKGROUND Vitamin B12 deficiency is common in older people and the prevalence increases with age. Vitamin B12 deficiency may present as macrocytic anaemia, subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord, or as neuropathy, but is often asymptomatic in older people. The diagnosis and indications for treatment are clear for individuals with low plasma levels of vitamin B12 in the setting of me...

BACKGROUND Pernicious anaemia is undeniably associated with vitamin B12 deficiency, but the association between subnormal vitamin B12 concentrations and anaemia in older people is unclear. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the association between subnormal vitamin B12 concentrations and anaemia in older people. METHODS Clinical queries for aetiology and treatment in bibliograp...

We evaluated the prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency and associated factors in type 2 diabetes patients using metformin. A total of 799 type 2 diabetes patients using metformin was enrolled. Vitamin B12 and folate levels were quantified by chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay. Vitamin B12 deficiency was defined as vitamin B12 ≤ 300 pg/mL without folate deficiency (folate > 4 ng/mL). The prevale...

To evaluate the role of vitamin B12 on spermatogenesis, the effects of dietary vitamin B12 deficiency on sperm maturation in developing rat fetuses and young growing rats were examined. The vitamin B12-deficient diet was given to all the animals for three different periods: whole period (gestation to mature), gestation period (gestation to weaning), or immature period (3-12 weeks postnatal). Sp...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW To analyse the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of vitamin B12 and evaluate current evidence on vitamin B12 status in the critically ill with systemic inflammation. RECENT FINDINGS Data on vitamin B12 status of intensive care unit patients are scarce. Cobalamins could potentially be useful agents for inhibiting nitric oxide synthase and nitric oxide production, c...

BACKGROUND Vitamin B12 deficiency is highly prevalent among adult individuals with diabetes yet screening is infrequent in Uganda. There are currently no published data regarding the prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency and its associated factors among adult individuals with diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed at describing the prevalence and factors associated with vitamin B12 def...

BACKGROUND Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to adverse health effects such as anemia and, in some cases, permanent neurologic damage. In Canada, patients with vitamin B12 deficiency are typically given intramuscular injections, which incur considerable cost and inconvenience. The clinical evidence-based analysis has found that oral supplementation is as effective as intramuscular injections. O...

Maternal vitamin B12 deficiency and hyperhomocysteinemia predict poor pregnancy outcome, foetal adiposity and insulin resistance. In India amongst practicing clinicians and policy makers there is little appreciation of widespread vitamin B12 deficiency. We investigated 163 (86 rural, 77 urban) pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in a rural health centre and a referral hospital in the cit...

The clinical significance of low serum vitamin B12 levels in elderly people is controversial. We aimed to document the prevalence of a low serum vitamin B12 (< 175 pmol/l) in patients referred to a geriatric medical unit, and to determine whether haemopoiesis is commonly affected in elderly patients with low serum vitamin B12. We studied prospectively 472 consecutive referrals to a geriatric me...