If you’re here then you’ve probably Google’d about: vitamin b12 level 2000 pg/ml.
Do I Need The Test?
Your doctor may recommend you have one for a few different reasons, such as: You’ve been diagnosed with anemia. You’re taking medications that may interfere with B12 absorption. You follow a vegan or strict vegetarian diet.
Several types of medications might affect your vitamin B12 levels. Metformin, a drug for diabetes, also may interfere with B12 absorption. If you’re not taking any of these medications or haven’t been diagnosed with pernicious anemia or other health problems that might cause lower B12 levels, your doctor may order the test based on your symptoms and dietary or health history.
What Is Vitamin B12?
(Methyl)cobalamin, more commonly known as vitamin B12, is an essential dietary nutrient. It is crucial for:
Since your body cannot produce this vitamin, you need to obtain enough of it from your diet. The richest sources of vitamin B12 are animal products such as meat, fish, and dairy [8, 9].
Vitamin B12 Deficiency – Are You At Risk?
The body uses vitamin B12 very wisely, simultaneously using, recycling, and storing it. For this reason, vitamin B12 deficiencies are quite rare and usually result from a very long-term shortage [10]. You are at a higher risk of B12 shortage if you are:
Vegan or vegetarian [11, 12, 13]
Pregnant or breastfeeding [14, 15]
A heavy alcohol drinker [16, 17]
Obese [18, 19, 20]
Suffering from a gut disorder that reduces your ability to absorb dietary B12 (such as Crohn’s disease) [21, 22, 23]
Older, as the gut becomes less efficient at absorbing nutrients with age [24, 25, 22]
Infected with HIV/AIDS [26, 27].
Why Is A Vitamin B-12 Level Test Useful?
The vitamin B-12 level test checks how much vitamin B-12 is in the body. Researchers believe that up to 15 percent of people in the United States have vitamin B-12 deficiency. Signs and symptoms of deficiency include: confusion
dementia
depression
difficulty maintaining balance
fast heartbeat
numbness and tingling in the hands and feet
poor memory
a sore mouth or tongue Infants with vitamin B-12 deficiency may fail to thrive.
Pernicious anemia, which causes low levels of red blood cells, results from an inability to absorb vitamin B-12. It often affects older adults or those who are lacking intrinsic factor. Symptoms of pernicious anemia include: constipation
fatigue
loss of appetite
pale skin
weakness
weight loss High serum folate levels Serum folate is the level of folic acid in the blood.
High serum folate levels can mask the symptoms of vitamin B-12 deficiency and make its neurological symptoms worse. They can also increase the likelihood of anemia.
How The Test Is Performed
Nk for about 6 to 8 hours before the test.
Certain medicines may affect the results of this test. Medicines that can affect the test result includ.