Background: Patients taking biguanides on a continuous basis sometimes develop vitamin B12 deficient megaloblastic anaemia. The prevalence of this side effect has not been estimated.
Methods: We screened 600 patients with type 2 diabetes treated with biguanides (phenformin or metformin) for a mean of 11.8 years (SD: 3.6 years) with complete blood counts, red cell indices and red cell morphology. If this showed macrocytosis, we measured total serum vitamin B12 and antiparietal cells antibodies (APCA). Patients with macrocytosis and low serum vitamin B12 levels were treated with cyanocobalamin 1 mg injection daily for seven days.
Results: Fifty-four (9%) of the patients had megaloblastic anaemia with low serum total vitamin B12 levels, only three (0.5%) also had abnormally raised APCA. All 54 patients responded to cyanocobalamin with a reticulocyte increase within 10 days.
Conclusion: Annual screening for megaloblastic anaemia in patients on long term treatment with biguanides may be worthwhile. The anaemia is easily remediable and does not necessitate withdrawal of the drug.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
[A case of diagnosed pernicious anemia and subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord with abnormally elevated serum vitamin B12].
Rinsho Shinkeigaku
January 2025
Department of Neurology, Saiseikai Yokohamashi Nanbu Hospital.
An 86-year-old male patient developed paresthesia in both hands, and six months later, pancytopenia was noted. He was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome following bone marrow aspiration. Despite high serum vitamin B12 level, elevated level of serum homocysteine, positive anti-intrinsic factor antibody, and T-weighted hyperintense lesions on spinal cord MRI led to a diagnosis of subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe impact of specialised gastroenterology services for pelvic radiation disease (PRD): Results from the prospective multi-centre EAGLE study.
PLoS One
January 2025
Marie Curie Research Centre, Division of Population Medicine, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom.
To undertake a mixed-methodology implementation study to improve the well-being of men with gastrointestinal late effects following radical radiotherapy for prostate cancer. All men completed a validated screening tool for late bowel effects (ALERT-B) and the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Score (GSRS); men with a positive score on ALERT-B were offered management following a peer reviewed algorithm for pelvic radiation disease (PRD). Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) at baseline, 6 and 12 months; and healthcare resource usage (HRU) and patient, support-giver, staff experience and acceptability of staff training (qualitative analysis) were assessed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFValeriana jatamansi Jones improves depressive behavior in CUMS mice by modulating vitamin B12-related ileal homeostasis.
J Ethnopharmacol
January 2025
School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, No.111, North Section1, Second Ring Road, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031, China. Electronic address:
Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Valeriana jatamansi Jones (V. jatamansi) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It was recorded in Diannan Bencao, Compendium of Materia Medica and some local medical books and was described as useful in treating insomnia, distraction, poor mental health, vomiting and diarrhea.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLaboratory evolution of with a natural vitamin B analog reveals roles for cobamide uptake and adenosylation in methionine synthase-dependent growth.
J Bacteriol
January 2025
Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA.
Bacteria encounter chemically similar nutrients in their environment, which impact their growth in distinct ways. Among such nutrients are cobamides, the structurally diverse family of cofactors related to vitamin B (cobalamin), which function as cofactors for diverse metabolic processes. Given that different environments contain varying abundances of different cobamides, bacteria are likely to encounter cobamides that enable them to grow robustly and also those that do not function efficiently for their metabolism.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnemia, hematinic deficiencies, hyperhomocysteinemia, and serum gastric parietal cell antibody positivity in 588 patients with oral lichen planus.
J Dent Sci
January 2025
Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Background/purpose: Our previous study found that 21.9 %, 13.6 %, 7.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!