The Descriptive study of dietary and serum Vitamin B₁₂ among subjects with type 2 diabetes on metformin therapy in a regional teaching hospital in middle Taiwan

Metformin has been considered the first choice of oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs) for typo 2 diabetes melitus (T2DM) patients. It has been proposed that Metformin could reduce Vitamin B₁₂ absorption since 1971. Vitamin B₁₂ is one of the essential nutrients for body and human cells growth, red blood cells formation and maintains epithelium and neuron myelin function. The symptoms of Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency Include precious anemia and nervous system disorders, such as neuropathy, spinal cord lesions, and memory disorders. We observed whether Metformin treatment for T2DM patients with adequate Vitamin B₁₂ intake may cause serum Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency or not. This was a cross-sectional study and recruited T2DM subjects aged from 20-85 yrs., excluded patients of vegetarians, postgastrotomy, and taking vitamin supplements more than thrice a week regularly. We collected medicaJ history and blood data, dietary information by 24 hours dietary recalls and food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). TotaJ 200 subjects were recruited in this study, Vitamin B₁₂ Intake was 1.8 ± 1.7 μg/day by 24- hour dietary recalls, 3.7 ± 2.6 μg/day by FFQ, serum Vitamin B₁₂ levels was 493.6 ± 318.3 pg/ml. There were strong correlations between 24 hours and FFQ (p < 0.000) in Vitamin Bl2 intake, but no correlation between dietary Vitamin B12and serum Vitamin B12 (p > 0.05). No significant correlation existed among Metformin dosage and dietary Vitamin B12, blood Vitamin B₁₂ level. No serum Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency existed when Metformin treatment forT2DM patients with adequate Vitamin B₁₂ intake in a Taiwan regional teaching hospital.