Dementia or Vitamin B12 Deficiency?

Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms, like those of many other treatable health conditions, can be virtually identical to Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias. As many as 20% of people over age 65 have low Vitamin B12 levels. Correcting the deficiency can help them resume a full and normal lives.

Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms include:

• Loss of appetite, stomach upset, weight loss
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Numbness and tingling of hands and feet
• Pale skin
• Shortness of breath
• Rapid heartbeat
• Weakness, fatigue, light-headedness
• Sore mouth and tongue
• Easy bruising or bleeding, including bleeding gums
• Depression
• Confusion or change in mental status in severe or advanced cases. This is sometimes confused with dementia. More importantly, even a moderate deficiency of this important vitamin and its counterpart, folic acid, may ultimate contribute to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease or other related dementias.

For more information about Vitamin B12 deficiency, including its causes, treatments and prevention, check out these pages:

• WebMD: Vitamin B12 Deficiency
• National Institutes of Health: Vitamin B12 Fact Sheet for Consumers

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