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Check out the study! Dr. Oz has this to say about B12
December 25, 2013
Acid reducing medications increase risk of B12 deficiency
Vitamin B12 insufficiency is relatively common, especially in older
adults. Over time, an insufficient intake of vitamin B12 can cause an
outright deficiency. Vitamin B12 deficiency, if is not corrected, may
lead to serious complications such as dementia, nerve damage, anemia and
other potentially irreversible conditions.
A
recent study has shown that the use of the acid suppressing drugs known
as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and histamine 2 receptor antagonists
(H2RAs) suppress the production of gastric acid and may further
complicate B12 malabsorption.
In this study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers sought to examine the association between long-term exposure to these medications and vitamin B12 deficiency.
The
study included 25,956 adults diagnosed over the past 4.5 years with B12
deficiency and 184,199 subjects that were not deficient. Pharmacy
records were used to provide information to determine who had been
prescribed PPIs or H2RAs for at least two years.
Compared
to those not taking the medications, there was a 65% greater risk of a
B12 deficiency among those who were taking proton pump inhibitors and a
25% greater chance of deficiency among those using the histamine 2
receptor blockers for 2 years or more. The risk of deficiency was nearly
doubled in those taking the higher dosages of PPIs compared to those
not using the medications. After discontinuation of the drugs, the
strength of the association was lessened.
The
results of this study show that previous and current gastric acid
inhibitor use is associated with an increased risk of vitamin B12
deficiency. While these findings do not recommend against the
appropriate use of these medications, these results should be considered
when balancing the benefits and risks of using these medications. In
addition, it is also advisable that the lowest effective dosage should
be used.
Lam JR, Schneider JL, Zhao W, Corley DA. Proton pump inhibitor and histamine 2 receptor antagonist use and vitamin B12 deficiency. JAMA. 2013 Dec 11;310(22):2435-42. doi: 10.1001/jama.2013.280490. | |||