Physical Wellness

Low Vitamin B12 Linked to POTS

By Christine Hsu | Update Date: Dec 25, 2013 04:07 PM EST

Not having enough vitamin B12 can increase children's risk of developing postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).

Lead researcher Taliha Öner, M.D., from Dr. Behçet Uz Children's Hospital in Izmir, Turkey, and her team looked at the correlation between vitamin B12 levels and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome during adolescence.

Their study involved 125 patients with an average age of 11 years old who had reported short-term loss of consciousness and been diagnosed with vasovagal syncope. There were also 50 control participants, according to HealthDay.

The study revealed that patients had significantly lower levels of vitamin B12 and that low levels of the vitamin b12 was significantly more common in the patient group compared to the control group.

"Our study shows the association between the etiopathogenesis of POTS and the vitamin B12 deficiency-induced sympathetic nervous system-baroreceptor dysfunction," researchers wrote in the study.

The findings are published in the journal Pediatrics.  

© 2023 Counsel & Heal All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Join the Conversation

Real Time Analytics