What is normal level of vitamin B12 in elderly?

A serum vitamin B₁₂ level between 200 pg/mL and 900 pg/mL is considered normal, but a threshold of 300 to 350 pg/mL is recognized as a marker for a desirable status in the elderly.

What is a good B12 level for seniors?

When you're in your 60s you should officially start getting blood tests to test for vitamin B12 deficiency. Around this age, you should be getting around 2.4 micrograms of B12 a day.

What level of B12 is concerning?

Values of less than 160 pg/mL (118 pmol/L) are a possible sign of a vitamin B12 deficiency. People with this deficiency are likely to have or develop symptoms. Older adults with a vitamin B12 level less than 100 pg/mL (74 pmol/L) may also have symptoms.

What happens if an older person has vitamin B12 deficiency?

This condition occurs when nerves throughout the body aren't working well. It can cause a variety of symptoms, including tingling, numbness, burning, poor balance, and trouble walking. Damaged nerve cells in the brain can result in memory problems, irritability, and even dementia.

What level is considered low B12?

A serum B12 above 300 pg/mL is interpreted as normal. Patients with B12 levels between 200 and 300 pg/mL are considered borderline, and further enzymatic testing may be helpful in diagnosis. Patients with B12 levels below 200 pg/mL are considered deficient.

What are optimal levels of B12?

What is severely low B12?

Pernicious anemia, a deficiency in the production of red blood cells due to a lack of vitamin B12, can cause permanent neurological damage that can lead to death if it is untreated.

What is the most common cause of B12 deficiency?

Diet. Some people can develop a vitamin B12 deficiency as a result of not getting enough vitamin B12 from their diet. A diet that includes meat, fish and dairy products usually provides enough vitamin B12, but people who do not regularly eat these foods can become deficient.

What does low B12 feel like?

extreme tiredness (fatigue) lack of energy (lethargy) breathlessness. feeling faint.

What medications should not be taken with B12?

How long does it take to fix B12 deficiency?

How long does it take to recover from B12 deficiency? Once you begin treating your vitamin B12 deficiency, it can take up to six to 12 months to fully recover. It is also common to not experience any improvement during the first few months of treatment.

What causes B12 deficiency in older adults?

Mild vitamin B12 deficiency in otherwise healthy individuals can result from dietary patterns that result in insufficient dietary intake of animal source foods including strict vegetarian and vegan diets, or can be caused by changes in stomach function resulting from aging and/or pharmaceutical use [12].

Does high B12 mean liver damage?

Vitamin B₁₂ is stored primarily in the liver, and highly elevated serum vitamin B₁₂ levels occur in acute hepatitis and severe alcoholic liver disease.

Why do seniors need B12 shots?

Vitamin B12 deficiency is common among the elderly. Elderly people are particularly at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency because of the high prevalence of atrophic gastritis-associated food-cobalamin (vitamin B12) malabsorption, and the increasing prevalence of pernicious anaemia with advancing age.

Why is vitamin B12 important for elderly?

The body cannot form properly shaped red blood cells without B12. Seniors who have a B12 deficiency could end up with large, irregularly shaped blood cells that cannot move throughout the bloodstream properly. Without enough red blood cells, they cannot get oxygen throughout the body.

How much B12 does a senior woman need?

With that in mind, let's go back to our initial question: how much vitamin B12 should a person over 65 take? Recent reports suggest that, along with a B12-rich diet, consuming 500 micrograms of B12 in the form of a supplement may help individuals over 65 maintain healthy vitamin B12 levels [2].

What blocks B12 absorption?

[1] People who regularly take medications that suppress stomach acid for conditions like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or peptic ulcer disease—such as proton-pump inhibitors, H2 blockers, or other antacids—may have difficulty absorbing vitamin B12 from food.

Are there any dangers in taking B12?

Vitamin B-12 can cause very rare but serious allergic reactions (anaphylaxis). This includes swelling of the face, tongue, and throat, and difficulty swallowing and breathing. If this occurs after you take vitamin B-12, call 911 or your local emergency services immediately.

Is it OK to take 1000 mcg B12 daily?

If you are low in vitamin B12, a common recommended dose for oral supplements is about 1,000 mcg daily. But you should make sure to ask your healthcare provider about how much vitamin B12 you should look for in a supplement.

Can you feel dizzy with low B12?

Low Vitamin B12 Levels Can Cause Dizziness

Deficiencies in this essential vitamin may lead to a number of neurological problems, including feeling off-balance, and having low blood pressure and decreased blood flow to your brain, says Whitman.

What Diseases can cause B12 deficiency?

Should I worry about B12 deficiency?

Most healthy people who have a well-balanced diet do not need to worry much about vitamin B₁₂ deficiency. However, for those at risk (such as those with celiac disease), measures of blood vitamin B₁₂ levels and, in some cases, preventive therapy with vitamin B₁₂ may be recommended.

Can B12 deficiency cause joint pain?

Not getting enough vitamin B12 to the point of a deficiency can cause a variety of serious symptoms including depression, joint pain, and fatigue.

How long does a B12 shot last?

Simply put, how long the B12 shot will last is different for everyone. Though it differs a bit from one person to another, the effects of B12 vitamins usually last around 48 hours to 72 hours after the initial injection.

What are the side effects of B12 shots?