Oral vitamin B12 replacement for the treatment of pernicious anaemia
Many patients with pernicious anaemia are treated with lifelong intramuscular vitamin B12 replacement. As early as the 1950s, there were studies suggesting that oral vitamin B12 replacement may provide adequate absorption. Nevertheless, oral vitamin B12 replacement in patients with pernicious anaemi...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2016-08-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fmed.2016.00038/full |
| _version_ | 1819134099773718528 |
|---|---|
| author | Catherine Qiu Hua Chan Lian Leng Low Lian Leng Low Kheng Hock Lee Kheng Hock Lee |
| author_facet | Catherine Qiu Hua Chan Lian Leng Low Lian Leng Low Kheng Hock Lee Kheng Hock Lee |
| author_sort | Catherine Qiu Hua Chan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many patients with pernicious anaemia are treated with lifelong intramuscular vitamin B12 replacement. As early as the 1950s, there were studies suggesting that oral vitamin B12 replacement may provide adequate absorption. Nevertheless, oral vitamin B12 replacement in patients with pernicious anaemia remains uncommon in clinical practice. The objective of this review is to provide an update on the effectiveness of oral vitamin B12 for the treatment of pernicious anaemia, the recommended dosage and the required frequency of laboratory test and clinical monitoring. Relevant articles were identified by PubMed search from 1 January 1980 to 31 March 2016 and through hand search of relevant reference articles. Two randomised controlled trials, three prospective papers, one systematic review and three clinical reviews fulfilled our inclusion criteria. We found that oral vitamin B12 replacement at 1000mcg daily was adequate to replace vitamin B12 levels in patients with pernicious anaemia. We conclude that oral vitamin B12 is an effective alternative to vitamin B12 intramuscular injections. Patients should be offered this alternative after an informed discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of both treatment options. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T09:57:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4968bd69b74146fc823efd0f5d6b7a84 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-858X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T09:57:49Z |
| publishDate | 2016-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-4968bd69b74146fc823efd0f5d6b7a842022-12-21T18:30:13ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Medicine2296-858X2016-08-01310.3389/fmed.2016.00038217884Oral vitamin B12 replacement for the treatment of pernicious anaemiaCatherine Qiu Hua Chan0Lian Leng Low1Lian Leng Low2Kheng Hock Lee3Kheng Hock Lee4Singapore General HospitalSingapore General HospitalDuke-NUS Medical SchoolSingapore General HospitalDuke-NUS Medical SchoolMany patients with pernicious anaemia are treated with lifelong intramuscular vitamin B12 replacement. As early as the 1950s, there were studies suggesting that oral vitamin B12 replacement may provide adequate absorption. Nevertheless, oral vitamin B12 replacement in patients with pernicious anaemia remains uncommon in clinical practice. The objective of this review is to provide an update on the effectiveness of oral vitamin B12 for the treatment of pernicious anaemia, the recommended dosage and the required frequency of laboratory test and clinical monitoring. Relevant articles were identified by PubMed search from 1 January 1980 to 31 March 2016 and through hand search of relevant reference articles. Two randomised controlled trials, three prospective papers, one systematic review and three clinical reviews fulfilled our inclusion criteria. We found that oral vitamin B12 replacement at 1000mcg daily was adequate to replace vitamin B12 levels in patients with pernicious anaemia. We conclude that oral vitamin B12 is an effective alternative to vitamin B12 intramuscular injections. Patients should be offered this alternative after an informed discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of both treatment options.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fmed.2016.00038/fullcobalaminCyanocobalaminPernicious anaemiaMecobalaminOral vitamin B12 |
| spellingShingle | Catherine Qiu Hua Chan Lian Leng Low Lian Leng Low Kheng Hock Lee Kheng Hock Lee Oral vitamin B12 replacement for the treatment of pernicious anaemia Frontiers in Medicine cobalamin Cyanocobalamin Pernicious anaemia Mecobalamin Oral vitamin B12 |
| title | Oral vitamin B12 replacement for the treatment of pernicious anaemia |
| title_full | Oral vitamin B12 replacement for the treatment of pernicious anaemia |
| title_fullStr | Oral vitamin B12 replacement for the treatment of pernicious anaemia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Oral vitamin B12 replacement for the treatment of pernicious anaemia |
| title_short | Oral vitamin B12 replacement for the treatment of pernicious anaemia |
| title_sort | oral vitamin b12 replacement for the treatment of pernicious anaemia |
| topic | cobalamin Cyanocobalamin Pernicious anaemia Mecobalamin Oral vitamin B12 |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fmed.2016.00038/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT catherineqiuhuachan oralvitaminb12replacementforthetreatmentofperniciousanaemia AT lianlenglow oralvitaminb12replacementforthetreatmentofperniciousanaemia AT lianlenglow oralvitaminb12replacementforthetreatmentofperniciousanaemia AT khenghocklee oralvitaminb12replacementforthetreatmentofperniciousanaemia AT khenghocklee oralvitaminb12replacementforthetreatmentofperniciousanaemia |