The Relationship between Serum Vitamin B12 and Glycemic Indices, BMI, and Dietary Components in Elderly

Background: Vitamin B12 plays an important role in many metabolic pathways, obesity, and insulin resistance and the elderly as a high-risk group are prone to its deficiency. In this regard, this study investigated the relationship between serum vitamin B12 and glycemic indices, dietary components and body mass index (BMI) in elderly population. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, ninety elderly aged 65 years and older from an senior center were enrolled. After completing the demographic questionnaire and assessing BMI, 5 mL blood sample was provided to measure serum vitamin B12, insulin and blood glucose levels. On the other hand, the vitamin B12 content of the diet was extracted from the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Results: About 58% of the elderly had serum vitamin B12 levels below normal. There was a significant correlation between low vitamin B12 levels, body weight and BMI. Furthermore, the relationship between low serum vitamin B12 level and fasting blood glucose level was also significant (p<0.05). FFQ results indicated a significant relationship between serum vitamin B12 level and the amount of different types of meat and eggs. Conclusion: The favorable level of vitamin B12 was shown to play a role in hyperglycemia control and to reach a normal weight.