It Could Be Old Age, or It Could Be Low B12

Ilsa Katz, age 85, began to suffer from severe confusion and memory loss. The doctors diagnosed her with Alzheimer’s disease, and began treating her with Aricept. However this seemed to make matters worse. After they decided to check her blood levels, they saw a deficiency in B12 Vitamins. Once she began taking the B12 Vitamins, she began to get much better and now she is living on her own without any aid. It turns out that the diagnosis was incorrect, and the memory loss came from the B12 deficiency. B12 is an essential vitamin with roles throughout the body. It is needed for the development and maintenance of a healthy nervous system, the production of DNA and formation of red blood cells. A severe B12 deficiency results in anemiawhich can be picked up by an ordinary blood test. But the less dramatic symptoms of a B12 deficiency may include muscle weakness, fatigue, shakiness, unsteady gait, incontinence, low blood pressure, depression and other mood disorders, and cognitive problems like poor memory. Labs differ in what they consider normal, but most authorities say a deficiency occurs when B12 levels in adults fall below 250 picograms per milliliter of blood serum. Recommended dietary amounts of B12 vary: 2.4 micrograms daily for those age 14 and older, 2.6 micrograms for pregnant women and 2.8 micrograms for nursing women. Barring circumstances that impair B12 absorption, these are levels easily obtained from a well balanced diet containing animal protein. In its natural form, B12 is present in significant amounts only in animal foods, most prominently in liver (83 micrograms in a 3.5-ounce serving). Good food sources include other red meats, turkey, fish and shellfish. Lesser amounts of the vitamin are present in dairy products, eggs and chicken. Others at risk of developing a B12 deficiency include heavy drinkers (alcohol diminishes B12 absorption), those who have had stomach surgery for weight loss or ulcers and people who take aminosalicylic acid or the diabetes drug metformin (sold as Glucophage and other brands). Patients who take the anticonvulsants phenytoin, phenobarbital or primidone are also at risk. Large doses of folic acid can mask a B12 deficiency and cause permanent neurological damage if normal levels of B12 are not maintained. Supplements of potassium impair B12 absorption in some people.Although most doctors are quick to recommend injections to correct a B12 deficiency, considerable evidence indicates that, in large enough doses, sublingual (under-the-tongue) tablets or skin patches of B12 may work as well as injections for people with absorption problems, even for those with pernicious anemia.

This information can be very helpful to us in the future. Since Alzheimer’s can be easily misdiagnosed with a B12 deficiency, doctors can now be more aware to more carefully diagnose the sense of confusion and memory loss within the elderly. Both are common to occur as the body becomes older. As our bodies age, it becomes more difficult to produce the vitamins needed. Therefore it is necessary for people to take care of their body by pertaining to a certain diet, such as one listed above, to make sure that the body is maintaining its levels of vitamins. If that is too difficult for the patient, they can simply take pills or patches designed to maintain the levels. As well, people can make sure to avoid the things that can cause the deficiency more rapidly.

Overall i think that the author wrote a well done article. He clearly explained a case of B12 deficiency confused with Alzheimer’s, a explanation of the vitamin, and ways to increase and decrease the levels in one’s body. One thing that i did not like was that he was simply listing facts for a majority of the article, rather then presenting it as an actual article. However, this made it easy to understand.

Works Cited

Brody, Jane E. "It Could Be Old Age, or It Could Be Low B12." New York Times. 28 Nov. 2011. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. .