Low Serum Vitamin B12 Levels Are Associated with Adverse Lipid Profiles in Apparently Healthy Young Saudi Women.

Sara Al-Musharaf,Ponnusamy Saravanan,Nasser Al-Daghri,Abdullah M Alnaami,Ghadeer S Aljuraiban,Syed Danish Hussain

doi:10.3390/nu12082395

Sara Al-Musharaf, Ponnusamy Saravanan + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082395

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Abstract

An abnormal lipid profile is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The relationship between vitamin B12 deficiency and lipid profile is inconclusive, with most studies conducted in unhealthy populations. In this study, we aimed to assess the relationship between serum vitamin B12 levels and lipid profiles in a cross-sectional study that included 341 apparently healthy Saudi women, aged 19–30 years, from different colleges at King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. Sociodemographic, anthropometric, biochemical, and lifestyle data were collected, including diet and physical activity. Serum vitamin B12 deficiency was defined as serum B12 level of <148 pmol/L. The prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency was approximately 0.6%. Using multivariable linear regression models, serum vitamin B12 levels were found to be inversely associated with total cholesterol (B = −0.26; p < 0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (B = −0.30; p < 0.001), and triglyceride (B = −0.16; p < 0.01) after adjusting for potential confounders, while obesity indices of body mass index, central obesity, and fat percentage showed no association. Therefore, we conclude that low serum vitamin B12 levels are independently associated with abnormal lipid profiles in healthy young Saudi women. Further interventional studies are needed to determine whether improving serum vitamin B12 levels in a healthy population can improve lipid profiles.

Highlights

Micronutrient deficiencies contribute to the development of many metabolic chronic diseases and are of great importance in global health research, especially in the Middle East [1,2]
The prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency ranges between 2.5% and 40% [6,10,11]
In a cohort of young women living in Saudi Arabia, we found that serum vitamin B12 levels

Summary

Introduction

Micronutrient deficiencies contribute to the development of many metabolic chronic diseases and are of great importance in global health research, especially in the Middle East [1,2]. Vitamin B12 deficiency can develop because of malabsorption, genetic polymorphisms, or low dietary intake [3,6], and it has been associated with health issues ranging from mild fatigue to severe neurological impairment [3,5,7]. The prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency ranges between 2.5% and 40% [6,10,11]. Prevalence among women of childbearing age has been measured at around 12% in the United Nutrients 2020, 12, 2395 childbearing age are considered a high-risk group for vitamin B12 deficiency [8] and the risk of B12 deficiency may increase by 10%–20% from preconception to early pregnancy [9].

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