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Review

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) deficiency in elderly patients

Emmanuel Andrès, Noureddine Henoun Loukili, Esther Noel, Georges Kaltenbach, Maher Ben Abdelgheni, Anne Elisabeth Perrin, Marie Noblet-Dick, Frédéric Maloisel, Jean-Louis Schlienger and Jean-Frédéric Blicklé
CMAJ August 03, 2004 171 (3) 251-259; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.1031155
Emmanuel Andrès
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Noureddine Henoun Loukili
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Esther Noel
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Georges Kaltenbach
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Maher Ben Abdelgheni
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Anne Elisabeth Perrin
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Marie Noblet-Dick
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Frédéric Maloisel
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Jean-Louis Schlienger
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Jean-Frédéric Blicklé
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  • © 2004 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors

Abstract

VITAMIN B12 OR COBALAMIN DEFICIENCY occurs frequently (> 20%) among elderly people, but it is often unrecognized because the clinical manifestations are subtle; they are also potentially serious, particularly from a neuropsychiatric and hematological perspective. Causes of the deficiency include, most frequently, food-cobalamin malabsorption syndrome (> 60% of all cases), pernicious anemia (15%–20% of all cases), insufficent dietary intake and malabsorption. Food-cobalamin malabsorption, which has only recently been identified as a significant cause of cobalamin deficiency among elderly people, is characterized by the inability to release cobalamin from food or a deficiency of intestinal cobalamin transport proteins or both. We review the epidemiology and causes of cobalamin deficiency in elderly people, with an emphasis on food-cobalamin malabsorption syndrome. We also review diagnostic and management strategies for cobalamin deficiency.

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Canadian Medical Association Journal: 171 (3)
CMAJ
Vol. 171, Issue 3
3 Aug 2004
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Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) deficiency in elderly patients
Emmanuel Andrès, Noureddine Henoun Loukili, Esther Noel, Georges Kaltenbach, Maher Ben Abdelgheni, Anne Elisabeth Perrin, Marie Noblet-Dick, Frédéric Maloisel, Jean-Louis Schlienger, Jean-Frédéric Blicklé
CMAJ Aug 2004, 171 (3) 251-259; DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.1031155

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Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) deficiency in elderly patients
Emmanuel Andrès, Noureddine Henoun Loukili, Esther Noel, Georges Kaltenbach, Maher Ben Abdelgheni, Anne Elisabeth Perrin, Marie Noblet-Dick, Frédéric Maloisel, Jean-Louis Schlienger, Jean-Frédéric Blicklé
CMAJ Aug 2004, 171 (3) 251-259; DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.1031155
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