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Vitamin B12 deficiency is associated with narcolepsy
Chaofan Geng1, Zhenzhen Yang2, Pengfei Xu1
1Henan University People's Hospital; Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou 450003, China.
Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery
|December 23, 2021
Summary
Low vitamin B12 levels are linked to narcolepsy. This study found lower serum vitamin B12 in narcolepsy patients, suggesting a potential role in the sleep disorder's development.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Narcolepsy is a recognized sleep disorder.
- The role of serum vitamin B12 in narcolepsy pathophysiology is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the independent association between serum vitamin B12 levels and the occurrence of narcolepsy.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of serum folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine levels in 40 narcolepsy patients and 40 healthy controls.
- Logistic regression analysis to identify independent predictors.
Main Results:
- Narcolepsy patients exhibited significantly lower serum folic acid and vitamin B12 levels.
- Males with narcolepsy showed lower serum vitamin B12.
- Multivariate analysis confirmed vitamin B12 as an independent factor associated with narcolepsy (p < 0.05, OR=0.97).
Conclusions:
- Reduced serum vitamin B12 is independently linked to narcolepsy development.
- Highlights a complex relationship between vitamin B12 and narcolepsy.
- Further research is needed on vitamin B12 supplementation for narcolepsy symptom improvement.
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