The effects did not differ by sex or by age group .
Conclusions Evidence on the effects of supplementation of low concentrations of vitamin B12 and folate on haematological parameters in community-dwelling older people is inconclusive .
Background / objectives Low vitamin B12 and folate levels in community-dwelling older people are usually corrected with supplements .
However , the effect of this supplementation on haematological parameters in older persons is not known .
Oral vitamin B12 for patients suspected of subtle cobalamin deficiency: a multicentre pragmatic randomised controlled trial
Background Evidence regarding the effectiveness of oral vitamin B12 in patients with serum vitamin B12 levels between 125 - 200 pM/l is lacking . We compared the effectiveness of one-month oral vitamin B12 supplementation in patients with a subtle vitamin B12 deficiency to that of a placebo . Methods This multicentre ( 13 general practice s , two nursing homes , and one primary care center in western Switzerl and ) , parallel , r and omised , controlled , closed-label , observer-blind trial included 50 patients with serum vitamin B12 levels between 125 - 200 pM/l who were r and omized to receive either oral vitamin B12 ( 1000 μg daily , N = 26 ) or placebo ( N = 24 ) for four weeks . The institution 's pharmacist used simple r and omisation to generate a table and allocate treatments . The primary outcome was the change in serum methylmalonic acid ( MMA ) levels after one month of treatment . Secondary outcomes were changes in total homocysteine and serum vitamin B12 levels . Blood sample s were central ised for analysis and adherence to treatment was verified by an electronic device ( MEMS ; Aardex Europe , Switzerl and ) . Trial registration : IS RCT N 22063938 . Results Baseline characteristics and adherence to treatment were similar in both groups . After one month , one patient in the placebo group was lost to follow-up . Data were evaluated by intention-to-treat analysis . One month of vitamin B12 treatment ( N = 26 ) lowered serum MMA levels by 0.13 μmol/l ( 95%CI 0.06 - 0.19 ) more than the change observed in the placebo group ( N = 23 ) . The number of patients needed to treat to detect a metabolic response in MMA after one month was 2.6 ( 95 % CI 1.7 - 6.4 ) . A significant change was observed for the B12 serum level , but not for the homocysteine level , hematocrit , or mean corpuscular volume . After three months without active treatment ( at four months ) , significant differences in MMA levels were no longer detected . Conclusions Oral vitamin B12 treatment normalised the metabolic markers of vitamin B12 deficiency . However , a one-month daily treatment with1000 μg oral vitamin B12 was not sufficient to normalise the deficiency markers for four months , and treatment had no effect on haematological signs of B12 deficiency
The effects did not differ by sex or by age group .
Conclusions Evidence on the effects of supplementation of low concentrations of vitamin B12 and folate on haematological parameters in community-dwelling older people is inconclusive .
Background / objectives Low vitamin B12 and folate levels in community-dwelling older people are usually corrected with supplements .
However , the effect of this supplementation on haematological parameters in older persons is not known .