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Review: limited evidence from 2 randomised controlled trials suggests that oral and intramuscular vitamin B₁₂ have similar effectiveness for vitamin B₁₂ deficiency

Clinical impact ratings GP/FP/Primary care Geriatrics Haematology

Key Words: vitamin B12 deficiency

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

METHODS
Data sources: Cochrane Library (Issue 1, 2005), Medline (to Dec 2004), EMBASE/Excerpta Medica (to Dec 2004), Lilacs (to Dec 2004), National Research Register (UK), Current Controlled Trials, National Institutes of Health (USA), bibliographies of relevant papers, authors of relevant studies, experts in the field, and vitamin B₁₂ manufacturers.

Study selection and assessment: randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the effects of oral and IM vitamin B₁₂ in patients with low serum vitamin B₁₂ concentrations who met criteria for replacement therapy (cut point of 180 pmol/l [240 pg/ml] for vitamin B₁₂ deficiency). Studies of patients with primary folate deficiency or end stage renal disease or on haemodialysis, as well as studies of vitamin B₁₂ for prevention of cardiovascular disease, were excluded. 2 researchers independently assessed the methodological quality of individual studies based on publication bias, selection bias, performance bias, attrition bias, and detection bias.

Outcomes: serum vitamin B₁₂ concentrations and clinical . . . [Full text of this article]

Andrea K Bial, MD

University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, USA