Background
Metformin is associated with low levels of vitamin B12 (VitB12) in patients with diabetes. The CCTG/MA.32 trial investigates effects of metformin vs placebo on breast cancer (BC) outcomes in non-diabetic high risk BC patients. We analyzed VitB12 at baseline and after 6 months of metformin (versus placebo) in the first 492 patients with paired blood samples.
Methods
VitB12 was analyzed centrally in baseline and 6 month fasting plasma. Levels<181pmol/L were considered deficient, 181 to 221pmol/L borderline and ≥ 222pmol/L sufficient. Methylmalonic acid(MMA) and homocysteine (HC) were assayed in those with VitB12 levels<222pmol/L. Statistical analyses used Spearman’s ranked correlation coefficients and the Wilcoxon signed rank test for continuous variables and Chi-square test for categorical variables.
Results
237 patients received metformin and 255, placebo; Median (Inter Quartile Range) baseline VitB12 levels were 390(290, 552) and 370(290, 552) pmol/L in the metformin and placebo arms, respectively, (p=0.97). At six months, the median levels were 320(244, 419) in the metformin versus 380(286, 546) pmol/L in the placebo arm (p=0.0001). At baseline, 15 patients (11 metformin and 4 placebo) had VitB12<181pmol/L; at 6 months, 18 patients (15 metformin and 3 placebo) (p=0.004).
Median hemoglobin was similar at baseline, metformin, 130g/L (124-137), and placebo arms, 131g/L (124-137), (p=0.38) and at 6 months, metformin, 131g/L (91-162), and 131g/L (106-169) in placebo group, (p=0.11). Of the 74 subjects with vitamin B12<222pmol/L at either time point (45 metformin, 29 placebo), at baseline MMA was normal in all patients and 2 had elevated HC (>15umol/L). At 6 months, 1 patient (metformin) had MMA >0.4umol/L and 3 (2 metformin, 1 placebo) had HC>15umol/L.
Conclusions
There was an increased rate of biochemical VitB12 deficiency after 6 months of metformin; this was not associated with anemia. Further research will investigate VitB12 levels in all subjects at baseline, 6 and 60 months.