Presence and absence of carbohydrate metabolism disorders as a factor influencing development of vitamin B12 deficiency

Objective. To study the significance of the presence and absence of carbohydrate metabolism disorders as a factor affecting the development of vitamin B12 deficiency. Materials and methods. The data of 206 subjects, forming two main groups were analyzed: the group of carbohydrate metabolism disorders (CMDs), which included 76 women and 71 men (n = 147); the control group, which included 33 women and 26 men (n = 59). The inclusion criteria were the following: age over 35, availability of anamnestic data on pharmacotherapy, availability of data to clarify the state of carbohydrate metabolism, availability of data on vitamin B12 and some other biochemical indices. Vitamin B12 levels 221 pmol / l were considered normal, vitamin B12 levels from 148 pmol / l to 221 pmol/l were considered borderline (or mild deficiency), and levels of 148 pmol / l or less were considered severe vitamin B12 deficiency. Results. The group of absent carbohydrate metabolism disorders included 59 persons and the group of carbohydrate metabolism disorders (CMDs) included T2DM patients (n = 123) and individuals with prediabetes (n = 24), i.e. the total number of the examined persons in CMD group was equal to 147. The average level of vitamin B12 in the control group (n = 59) was 401.6 and 138.06 pmol / l, and in CMD group (n = 147) it was equal to 342.1 133.10 pmol/l. The differences between the groups were statistically significant (p 0.01), that suggested the significance of CMDs as a risk factor for vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 deficiency was combined with the presence of CMDs in 32 (21.8 %) cases. In 115 cases (78.2 %), the presence of CMDs was combined with the absence of vitamin B12 deficiency. In 8 cases (13.5 %), there were no CMDs, but there was vitamin B12 deficiency. In 51 cases (86.4 %), no CMDs and vitamin B12 deficiency was noted. Conclusions. Despite the presence of a statistically significant decrease in vitamin B12 levels in CMD group (342.1 133.10 pmol / l vs 401.6 and 138.06 pmol/ l; p 0.01) and a high incidence rate of vitamin B12 deficiency in CMD group (21.8 % and 13.5 %, respectively), the study results do not allow us to consider the presence of CMDs to be the risk factor for vitamin B12 deficiency.