Related Experiment Videos
Vitamin B12 deficiency in the aged: a population-based study.
Saila Loikas1, Pertti Koskinen, Kerttu Irjala
1Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. sailalo@utu.fi
Age and Ageing
|December 26, 2006
Summary
Vitamin B12 deficiency is common in older adults, affecting 9.5% of the Finnish population studied. No specific risk group was identified, suggesting universal screening is necessary for early detection.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Nutritional Science
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Vitamin B12 deficiency is prevalent in the elderly population.
- Current guidelines debate targeted screening versus universal screening for vitamin B12 deficiency in aged individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency in the Finnish aged population.
- To identify potential risk factors or clinical indicators for vitamin B12 deficiency in this demographic.
Main Methods:
- A population-based, cross-sectional study involving 1048 participants aged 65-100 years.
- Data collection included lifestyle factors, clinical conditions, physical examinations, and laboratory measurements of vitamin B12 status.
- Diagnostic criteria included low serum vitamin B12 (<150 pmol/l) or borderline levels with low holotranscobalamin and elevated homocysteine.
Main Results:
- A total of 9.5% of subjects were diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency.
- Previously diagnosed deficiency was noted in 2.6%, with laboratory diagnosis in 9.5%.
- Risk factors for deficiency included male gender, age over 75, and avoidance of dairy products. Anemia and macrocytosis were not predictive.
Conclusions:
- Undiagnosed vitamin B12 deficiency is common in the elderly.
- No specific risk group could be identified, supporting biochemical screening of unselected older adults.
- General practitioners are crucial for early diagnosis and management of vitamin B12 deficiency.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Vitamins
Vitamins, derived from the Latin word for life, are essential organic substances required in small quantities for optimal growth and overall well-being. Unlike other organic nutrients, vitamins don't act as sources of energy or building materials but rather facilitate these nutrients' utilization by the body. Vitamins are predominantly coenzymes, assisting enzymes in specific chemical actions, like the oxidation of glucose for energy involving B vitamins. Most vitamins are not produced in our...
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...
01:18Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Metabolism
Geriatric patients show significant variation in how their bodies process medications, which can change how effective and safe treatments are. The liver is the primary organ where drug metabolism occurs, involving two main types of chemical reactions: phase I and II. Phase I metabolism is driven by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system, which includes key types such as CYP3A, CYP2D6, and CYP2C9. Research indicates that while aging doesn't notably alter the levels or activity of these enzymes, it...
01:22Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Absorption
As individuals age, their body's physiology evolves, affecting drug pharmacokinetics. The most apparent changes occur in the gastrointestinal tract, where an increase in gastric pH, a delay in gastric emptying, and a reduction in gastrointestinal motility are observed. Remarkably, these changes do not substantially modify the absorption of orally administered drugs, particularly those absorbed via passive diffusion.Transdermal drug delivery emerges as a highly viable method for older adults due...
01:15Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients
Elderly individuals encompass a diverse population with varying degrees of age-related physiological changes. Defining the elderly presents challenges, as the geriatric population is often arbitrarily categorized as individuals older than 65. However, many individuals in this group lead active and healthy lives, with an increasing number surpassing 85 years and falling into the older elderly category. Physiological changes associated with aging impact performance capacity and homeostatic...
01:00Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution
Drug distribution in the human body is influenced by several factors, including plasma protein concentration, body composition, blood flow, tissue-protein concentration, and tissue fluid pH. Among these, changes in plasma protein concentration and body composition due to aging significantly affect how drugs are distributed within the body. Specifically, aging is associated with a decrease in albumin levels by about 10% and an increase in α1-acid glycoprotein levels. These alterations are not...