Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Hyperhomocysteinemia and their Inter-relationship in General Population of Coimbatore District of India

Background: Vitamin B12 deficiency is one of the leading vitamin deficiencies in India leading to anemia and other disorders. An important adverse effect of B12 deficiency is elevation of homocysteine levels which may lead to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular incidents. Objectives: This study aimed to identify the prevalence of B12 deficiency and prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia in people living in Coimbatore region of Tamil Nadu, India. Also, we studied the relationship between decreased B12 and elevated homocysteine levels. Material and Methods: Four hundred eighty five apparently normal persons were recruited for this study. They were assessed for Vit B12 levels and Homocysteine levels and r value calculated using Pearson's correlation. Results: Wefound that 12% of study participants suffered from B12 deficiency and 23% had hyperhomocysteinemia. Pearson's correlation revealed r value of -0.05 which showed a mild correlation between decreasing B12 levels versus elevation of homocysteine. Conclusion: This study revealed B12 deficiency and hyperhomocysteinemia are common in people living around Coimbatore region of Tamilnadu and Low B12 levels may be a leading cause of hyperhomocystenemia in this population.