Is 500 a low B12 level?

Is 500 a low B12 level?

The National Institutes of Health considers someone to be vitamin B12 deficient when their blood serum levels fall below 200 pg/mL (too low, according to many experts), but notes that deficiency symptoms may appear at serum levels between 200-500 pg/mL, which is within the “normal” range.

Can you have B12 deficiency with normal blood levels?

The serum B12 test is still widely used as thé test to confirm or rule out a vitamin B12 deficiency. However, a normal blood value cannot rule out a B12 deficiency, as has often been shown in scientific medical literature. Serum B12 can be false normal or even false high, while a deficiency is present.

What causes B12 levels to drop?

Atrophic gastritis, in which your stomach lining has thinned. Pernicious anemia, which makes it hard for your body to absorb vitamin B12. Conditions that affect your small intestine, such as Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, bacterial growth, or a parasite.

Can you have normal B12 levels and still be deficient?

People with this deficiency are likely to have or develop symptoms. Older adults with a vitamin B12 level less than 100 pg/mL (74 pmol/L) may also have symptoms. Deficiency should be confirmed by checking the level of a substance in the blood called methylmalonic acid. A high level indicates a true B12 deficiency.

What does high B12 blood levels really mean?

High blood B12 levels can occur in liver conditions such as cirrhosis and hepatitis. Alcoholic liver disease is an example of a liver condition associated with high vitamin B12 . With alcoholic liver disease, vitamin B12 as well as its carrier proteins can be elevated.

What is considered high B12 levels?

An abnormally high vitamin B-12 status is anything over 900 ng/mL. This result may suggest liver or kidney problems, diabetes, or certain forms of leukemia. The result ranges vary from one laboratory to another, so it is important to discuss the results and their meaning with a doctor.

Why would I have high B12 levels in my blood?

An increased blood level of vitamin B12 is sometimes caused by kidney disease, including diabetic kidney disease. High vitamin B12 levels could also be explained by elevated vitamin B12 binding protein levels that are not filtered properly by the kidneys.