Diagnosis of Vitamin B12 Deficiency - In pursuit of a Gold Standard

The signs and symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency are many but both variable and hard to identify as B12 deficiency. Traditional markers such as anemia or macrocytosis frequently fail to appear, especially when folate intake is high, allowing deficiency to progress silently for years. Many patients may have B12 deficiency for years without being diagnosed, yet the early diagnosis of B12 deficiency is crucial to prevent irreversible neurological damage.1,2

1. Wolffenbuttel, Bruce Hr et al. “Vitamin B12.” BMJ (Clinical research ed.) vol. 383 e071725. 20 Nov. 2023, doi:10.1136/bmj-2022-071725
2. Miller, Joshua W et al. “Excess Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Clinical Implications?.” Food and nutrition bulletin vol. 45,1_suppl (2024): S67-S72. doi:10.1177/03795721241229503

In this webinar Dr. Ralph Green, Distinguished Professor, University of California, Davis will share his insights on the changing landscape of Vitamin B12 deficiency and path towards a clinically meaningful approach to diagnosing vitamin B12 deficiency highlighting the limitations of traditional serum B12 tests. The speaker will focus on newer tests such as Active B12 (holotranscobalamin), considered a more sensitive and clinically useful biomarker than total serum B12 for diagnosing vitamin B12 deficiency—especially in detecting early neurological impairment.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the association between Vitamin B12 deficiency, neurological disease, depression, fatigue and anaemia
• Significance of new tests such as Active B12 can lead to improved clinical outcomes.