Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Why in News?

Recently, Population-based research, International Journal of Academic Medicine and Pharmacy, has identified a direct link between Vitamin B12 deficiency and cardiovascular health.

• Vitamin B12 - Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin.
• It serves essential functions in the body, including forming DNA and healthy red blood cells, maintaining proper nerve and brain function, and converting food into energy.
• It also serves to regulate Homocysteine, a blood amino acid.

Homocysteine (Hcy) is a sulphur containing amino acid that is derived from methionine, an essential amino acid found in abundance in protein of animal origin.

Vitamins B12, B6 and folate break down homocysteine to create other chemicals our body needs.

• Healthy Parameters – Normal vitamin B12 levels swing between 200 and 900 picograms per milliliter (pg/mL).
• Levels below 200 pg/mL are considered deficient, while those between 200 and 300 pg/mL can be considered borderline cases.
• Diet – B12 is largely present in animal food items like eggs, milk, fish, poultry and meat.
• Oral supplement or injections can be prescribed in people with absorption problems, for example, those with gastrointestinal conditions or older persons.
• B12 deficiency – It can result in a spectrum of symptoms and health complications, ranging from mild fatigue and weakness to severe neurological disorders and anaemia.
• When Vitamin B12 levels decline, blood pressure rises, which damages heart vessels over time.
• B12 deficiency leads to megaloblastic anemia, a condition that lowers the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood.
• Impacts – B12 levels are low, the body is unable to effectively convert homocysteine to useful compounds.
• High homocysteine is toxic to blood vessels, causing them to become rigid and less flexible.
• It leads to inflammation and damages the inner lining of arteries, which accelerates the process of atherosclerosis or deposition of plaque.
• Elevated homocysteine can also make the blood more likely to form clots, increasing the risk of blockages that cause heart attacks and stroke

Reference

The Indian Express| Vitamin B12 deficiency and Homocysteine