Background: Vitamin B12 deficiency may be related to peripheral neuropathy in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Level of B12 in T2DM observed by many investigators showed variable results. Studies on vitamin B12 in T2DM are very limited in Bangladesh. Objectives: To observe serum vitamin B12 level in newly diagnosed T2DM patients. Methods: Observational cross-sectional study encompassing 50 newly diagnosed T2DM and 50 controls as per American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria. Vitamin B12 and Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were measured for all. Results: Both mean (492.46±28.82 vs. 346.48±19.65 pg/mL, mean±SEM; p=<0.001) and median (435.50 vs. 334.50 pg/mL) values of serum vitamin B12 were found to be higher in T2DM than those of controls. None of the diabetic subjects were found to be B12 deficient whereas 6 were borderline deficient; these frequencies were 7 and 11 respectively among the controls. Vitamin B12 level was statistically similar in patients with or without clinically evident peripheral neuropathy (mean±SEM; 523.48±39.39 vs. 441.84±38.76 pg/mL, p=0.172). B12 level showed positive correlation with fasting plasma glucose (FPG, r=0.285, p=0.061) and HbA1c (r=0.287, p= 0.043) in diabetes group but there was no correlation with body mass index (BMI). Conclusion: Vitamin B12 is found sufficient in newly diagnosed Bangladeshi T2DM patients.
Serum vitamin B12 levels in type 2 diabetes patients on metformin compared to those never on metformin: A cross-sectional study
