what causes anemia and B12 deficiency in a 75 yr old woman?
admin | Feb 08, 2013 | 6 comments
I recently went to the doctor and the blood test revealed that I had anemia and B12 deficiency? This was not the reading I had 8 months ago. This just showed up. Any answers?
Filed Under: Health and Ill
.Have a look at this site lots of info and answers to your question.
The most common causes of anemia in the elderly are chronic disease and iron deficiency. Vitamin B 12 deficiency, folate deficiency, gastrointestinal bleeding and …
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20001001/1565.html
They MAY be one and the same thing, my friend. Vitamin B12 deficiency leads to a condition called pernicious anemia.
You need to check with your doctor whether s/he’s talking about iron deficiency anemia as well as pernicious anemia.
Pernicious anemia is due to an inability to absorb vitamin B-12 from the gastrointestinal tract.
The following website explains pernicious anemia very well, but I’d advise that you not automatically jump to conclusions after reading it. Discuss what you read with your doctor as s/he will know precisely which type of anemia it is that you’ve been diagnosed with.
Old age, and some under-eating(most elderly people have it). Just try and make due, as best as is possible(without making everybody feel uncomfortable).
Vitamin B12 deficiency takes years to develop and is usually undetected due to far too low a reference range range. When finally diagnosed with a vitamin B12 deficiency, based on these poor reference ranges, you have been deficient for many years. Macrocytic anaemia (enlarged blood cells) is due to vitamin B12 deficiency and microcytic anaemia (small blood cells) is due to iron deficiency. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause iron anaemia; iron needs vitamin C, vitamin B12, folate and zinc for optimal absorption. When a concurrent iron and vitamin B12 deficiency occurs, your blood cells can appear normal. Pernicious anaemia is an autoimmune disease where antibodies attack the instrinsic factor (needed to absorb vitamin B12) and may also attack the parietal cells (stomach lining). Prevalence of pernicious anaemia is 1 in 1000 people (1 in 10 000 under age 40). Usually occurs in adults over age 60.
Vitamin B12 deficiency can be caused by the following factors:
Decreased stomach acid
Atrophic gastritis
Autoimmune pernicious anaemia
Helicobacter pylori
Gastrectomy, intestinal resection
Gastric bypass surgery
Malabsorption syndromes
Crohn’s disease
Celiac disease (gluten enteropathy)
Chronic pancreatitis
Bacterial overgrowth (small bowel)
Fish tapeworm
Alcoholism
Malnutrition – eating disorders
Vegetarianism
Advanced liver disease
Transcobalamin II deficiency
Inborn errors of B12 metabolism
Certain drugs – eg: acid blockers like nexium/diabetes drug metformin
Nitrous oxide
Putrefactive bacteria can destroy friendly bacteria, thus inhibiting the synthesis and absorption of vitamin B12. The principal cause of putrefaction in the digestive tract is the ingestion of cooked animal protein although putrefaction can occur as a result of bad food combining, overeating of any concentrated protein foods, chemical additives and drugs.
Studies show oral supplementation is equivalent to B12 injections. I have autoimmune pernicious anaemia and take 2000mcg sublingual spray daily.
Causes of vitamin B12 deficiency >>>
http://b12awareness.org/about-b12/causes-autoimmune-malabsorption-gastric-bypass/
B12 deficiency: a silent epidemic with serious consequences >>>
http://thehealthyskeptic.org/b12-deficiency-a-silent-epidemic-with-serious-consequences?utm_source=The+Healthy+Skeptic&utm_campaign=8b111bfd2f-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email
Lack of Intrinsic factor and as you aged, there’s a minimal loss of digestive enzymes that leads to deceased absorption of nutrients-which is in your case, it’s the Vitamin B12 that synthesizes iron.
Please ask your doctor to test you for Celiac Disease. This can often cause deficiencies in people who eat a healthy diet. It involves a blood test and then possibly a biopsy of your intestines. I had a b12 and foliate deficiency and my Mum had b12 and iron. We were both diagnosed with Celiac Disease.
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