Publication:

Vitamin B 12: the hidden ingredient of stroke

Background Study aimed to evaluate the relationship between vitamin B12 and acute cerebral stroke in this study.

Methods Blood samples drawn within 24 hours after the stroke from hospitalized patients (n=100) and from 100 control cases matched for age, sex and other modifiable risk factors of stroke were analyzed. With a competitive, ECLIA, serum levels of vitamin B12 were measured. The quantitative data of the groups was compared using Analysis of Varience and Tukeys HSD post hoc test for comparison. Chi-square tests were used.

Results Median serum vitamin B12 levels were significantly lower in the patients than in the control subjects, 188.71 and 256.25 pg/ml respectively (p=0.0001). This difference was independent from other risk factors. The mean age in case group was 62.49 (SD: 12.45 years) and 56.62 (SD: 13.05 years) in control group with p=0.001. Therefore, prevalence of stroke is more between 6th and 7th decade of life. Mean serum vitamin B12 levels were lower in males (201.8pg/ml) than the females (268.pg/ml) in the case group.

Conclusions Low vitamin B12 is associated with an increased risk of stroke, and its relationship is independent from the other known modifiable stroke risk factors.