Effect of long-term acid suppression therapy with proton pump inhibitors or H2receptor blockers on serum vitamin B12levels in elderly population

Background Long-term usage of acid suppression drugs like proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) or H(2)receptor blockers in the elderly population has been found to result in vitamin B(12)deficiency. However, the reports are equivocal. Objective To determine the serum vitamin B(12)levels in elderly patients under chronic acid suppression therapy. Methods Patients aged above 60 years and on any of the PPIs or H(2)blockers for at least 6 months were recruited. Out of 77 patients recruited, 60 patients were included for the final analysis. The serum vitamin B(12)levels were measured using the AccuDiag (TM)-Vitamin B12 ELISA system. Results Out of 60 patients, pantoprazole (40%) and omeprazole (37%) were the commonly prescribed acid-suppressing drugs. Nearly 50% of the patients on prolonged acid suppression therapy were either "deficient" (less than 200 pg/ml) or "insufficient" (200 to 300 pg/ml) in serum vitamin B(12)levels. Neither the average serum vitamin B(12)levels (p = 0.994) nor the vitamin B(12)status (p = 0.226) varied significantly across the drug groups of pantoprazole, omeprazole, and ranitidine. Conclusions Prolonged acid suppression therapy with PPIs or H(2)blockers may result in serum vitamin B(12)deficiency. However, there was no class (PPIs vs. H(2)receptor blockers)- or drug (pantoprazole vs. omeprazole vs. ranitidine)-based differences found in the vitamin B(12)deficiency caused.