Vitamin B12 deficiency in psychiatric patients admitted in a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Context: Vitamin B12 also known as cobalamin is water-soluble vitamin which is required for cell metabolism in the body and its deficiency leads to various neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorders. Aims: To find out the prevalence of Vitamin B12 deficiency in admitted psychiatric patients and associated clinical features, hematological findings, and risk factors. Settings and Design: It was a cross-sectional, observational study. Subjects and Methods: One hundred and fifty consecutive psychiatric patients admitted in the psychiatry ward of a tertiary care hospital were enrolled in the study population. After taking written informed consent, blood sample was collected for each participant, which is otherwise also a routine investigation for all indoor patients. Sociodemographic data of the patients were collected by a semi-structured interview. Data pertaining to clinical and laboratory presentation and risk factors were also collected. Statistical Analysis Used: Analysis was done using Student's t-test, Chi-square test, and Fisher's exact test. Results: The prevalence of Vitamin B12 deficiency in indoor psychiatric patients was 33.33%. The prevalence of depression was high among these patients (36%). It is more prevalent in males (64%) and in rural population (50%). Hematological changes in peripheral smear in the form of macrocytes (10%), macroovalocytes, and target cells (12%) were common findings. Clinical symptoms such as hyperpigmentation of knuckles (24%), memory loss 16%), fatigue (70%), and tingling numbness (34%) were associated with B12 deficiency. Conclusions: The prevalence of Vitamin B12 deficiency in the study population is reasonably high. More than half of the patients with B12 deficiency were suffering from mood disorders.

Keywords

• cobalamin
• mentally ill
• psychiatric patients
• vitamin b12 deficiency