Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Health

Vitamin B12 or cobalamin deficiency results from the inability to release vitamin B-12 from food proteins (food malabsorption), intestinal malabsorption, or inadequate intake. It occurs frequently among elderly patients, but it is often unrecognized or not investigated because the clinical manifestations are subtle. However, the potential seriousness of the complications (particularly neuropsychiatric and hematological) requires investigation of all patients who present with vitamin or nutritional deficiency. We summarize the current state of knowledge on cobalamin deficiency, with a particular focus on deficiency in elderly people.