Hematological response to short-term oral cyanocobalamin therapy for the treatment of cobalamin deficiencies in elderly patients.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this trial was to demonstrate the efficacy of one month of oral cobalamin (vitamin B12) therapy in elderly patients with cobalamin deficiency related to food-cobalamin malabsorption (FCM).

PATIENTS AND METHOD

Twenty elderly patients (mean age: 78+/-17 years) with established cobalamin deficiency related to FCM were included in an open-label, non-randomized, non-placebo trial. They were treated with a maximum of 1,000 microgram per day of oral crystalline cyanocobalamin for at least 1 month. Serum cobalamin levels (primary endpoint), blood count abnormalities and reticulocytes count (secondary endpoints) were determined at baseline and during the first month of treatment.

RESULTS

85% of the patients normalized their serum cobalamin levels with a mean increase of+167 pg/ml (p<0.001 compared with baseline). 100% of the patients corrected their initial macrocytosis and 25% their anemia; 100% of the patients had medullar regeneration with a mean increase of reticulocytes count of 32+/-11.3 x 106/l (p=0.03 compared with baseline).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings support the view that one month of oral crystalline cyanocobalamin is effective to correct serum vitamin B12 levels and to obtain hematological responses in elderly patients with cobalamin deficiency related to FCM.