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Determining Functional Vitamin B12 Deficiency in the Elderly.
Niloofar Khodabandehloo1, Masoud Vakili2, Zahra Hashemian3
1Department of Internal Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal
|October 3, 2015
Summary
High rates of vitamin B12 deficiency were found in elderly individuals in Tehran. This highlights the need for targeted public health policies to address this widespread nutritional issue.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Nutritional Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Elevated serum total homocysteine is a common indicator of vitamin B12 deficiency.
- Homocysteine measurement serves as a screening tool for functional vitamin B12 deficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the prevalence of functional vitamin B12 deficiency among elderly individuals in Tehran.
- To assess vitamin B12 status in elderly patients at the research center.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 232 elderly individuals in Tehran, Iran (2012).
- Classification into high risk (< 220 pmol/L) and borderline (220-258 pmol/L) vitamin B12 deficiency groups.
- Inclusion of elevated homocysteine (> 15 µmol/L) as a criterion for deficiency.
Main Results:
- A homocysteine cut-off of 15.0 pmol/L was established for normal or elevated concentrations.
- Vitamin B12 deficiency risk was high: 56% in the 65-74 age group and 93% in those aged ≥ 75 years.
Conclusions:
- The study revealed a higher prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency compared to previous research.
- There is an urgent need for enhanced public health strategies and interventions to combat vitamin B12 deficiency in the elderly population.
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