Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Vitamin B12 replacement therapy: how much is enough?

D T Watts1

  • 1University of Wisconsin's Section of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Madison.

Wisconsin Medical Journal
|May 1, 1994
PubMed
Summary

Vitamin B12 deficiency is common in older adults. Higher 1000 microgram cyanocobalamin injections are more effective than 100 microgram doses for treatment and maintenance, with oral therapy also a viable option.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Human tolerance to high positive acceleration of short duration.

Federation proceedings·2010
Same author

Preliminary tests of sudden upward acceleration on sitting men.

The American journal of the medical sciences·2010
Same author

Physician-assisted suicide.

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society·1993
Same author

Assisted suicide is not voluntary active euthanasia.

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society·1992
Same author

Geriatricians' attitudes toward assisting suicide of dementia patients.

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society·1992
Same author

The family's will or the living will: patient self-determination in doubt.

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society·1992

Area of Science:

  • Geriatric Medicine
  • Nutritional Science
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Vitamin B12 deficiency prevalence increases with age.
  • Current therapeutic recommendations for vitamin B12 deficiency are varied.
  • Cyanocobalamin is the primary B12 formulation in the US.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of different cyanocobalamin dosages for vitamin B12 deficiency.
  • To establish optimal parenteral and oral therapeutic regimens.
  • To address the increasing incidence of vitamin B12 deficiency in the elderly population.

Main Methods:

  • Comparison of vitamin B12 retention between 100 and 1000 microgram cyanocobalamin injections.
  • Assessment of therapeutic equivalence between parenteral and oral vitamin B12 administration.
  • Analysis of cost and toxicity profiles for different dosage regimens.

Main Results:

  • Significantly greater vitamin B12 retention was observed with 1000 microgram injections compared to 100 microgram doses.
  • No increase in cost or toxicity was associated with the higher dosage.
  • Oral therapy ranging from 300-1000 micrograms daily demonstrated therapeutic equivalence to parenteral treatment.

Conclusions:

  • Parenteral regimens utilizing 1000 microgram cyanocobalamin injections are recommended for loading (5-6 biweekly doses) and maintenance (monthly doses).
  • Higher dose injections ensure adequate vitamin B12 levels, meeting metabolic demands in elderly patients.
  • Oral cyanocobalamin therapy presents a potentially equivalent alternative to injections for managing vitamin B12 deficiency.

Related Experiment Videos