Consensus of the Brazilian Association of Nutrology on diagnosis, prophylaxis, and treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency

Abstract

Introduction: Vitamin B12 deficiency is quite prevalent in all age groups and all regions of the country, however, there is a need for standardization of clinical management recommendations. Objective: It was to achieve a consensus on the diagnosis, prophylaxis, and treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency. Methods: An integrative review of the scientific literature was carried out in Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, Scielo, and Google Scholar databases and on governmental and regulatory websites. Results: According to the literary search carried out by the authors of this study, 84 scientific works were selected. Based on these findings, in the timeline from 1999 to 2022, randomized controlled clinical studies represented the majority, and prospective and retrospective studies with significant sample sizes were elucidated in this consensus on the vitamin B12 administration for all patient populations. The basis of this scientific evidence was determined by appropriate clinical trials, with additional endpoints including patient clinical symptoms and biochemical parameters in addition to serum and marginal B12 level. Conclusions: Based on the scientific literature, the recommendations of the Brazilian Association of Nutrology for diagnosis, prophylaxis, and treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency were presented.