THE FREQUENCY OF VITAMIN B-12 DEFICIENCY IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS TREATED WITH METFORMIN FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS

This study was carried out in order to determine the frequency of vitamin B-12 deficiency in Romanian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), treated with metformin for at least five years. The study group included 39 T2DM patients and 33 control subjects. A complete blood count was performed and serum vitamin B-12 concentration was determined. The T2DM patients on metformin had statistically significant lower levels of B-12 vitamin, adjusted for age and gender, and of haemoglobin compared to control subjects. Older patients, as well as male patients, had statistically significant lower B-12 vitamin levels. No statistically significant association was found between the vitamin B-12 level and the duration of metformin treatment. These results suggest the importance of assessing vitamin B-12 status in T2DM patients treated with metformin on long term.