The key difference between B12 deficiency and pernicious anemia is that B12 deficiency is a disorder due to not getting enough vitamin B12 (cobalamin) to the body, while pernicious anemia is an autoimmune disorder that causes a reduction in dietary vitamin B12 absorption, which leads to the B12 deficiency and subsequent megaloblastic anemia.
B12 deficiency and pernicious anemia are two associated medical disorders. This is because pernicious anemia is one of the causes of vitamin B12 deficiency. In fact, pernicious anemia is an autoimmune condition that prevents the body from absorbing vitamin B12.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is B12 Deficiency
3. What is Pernicious Anemia
4. Similarities – B12 Deficiency and Pernicious Anemia
5. B12 Deficiency vs Pernicious Anemia in Tabular Form
6. Summary – B12 Deficiency vs Pernicious Anemia
What is B12 Deficiency?
B12 deficiency is a disorder due to a deficiency of a vitamin known as vitamin B12 or cobalamin. Vitamin B12 plays important roles in the body. It helps to make DNA and red blood cells. Since the body does not make vitamin B12, people should get it from animal-based foods or supplements. Children need 1.8 mcg of vitamin B12 per day, while adults need 2.4 mcg of vitamin B12 per day. People may get enough vitamin B12 from animal sources such as dairy products, eggs, fish, meat, poultry, or fortified cereals.
B12 deficiency can be caused by atrophic gastritis, pernicious anemia, conditions that affect the small intestine such as Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, misuse of alcohol, immune system disorders such as Graves’ disease or lupus and certain medications that interfere with the absorption of B12 like proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), H2 blockers, and diabetes medicine (metformin). Moreover, the symptoms of this condition may include weakness, tiredness, lightheadedness, heart palpitation, pale skin, a smooth tongue, constipation, diarrhea, loss of appetite or gas in the stomach, tingling, muscle weakness, problems in walking, vision loss, mental problems such as depression, memory loss, and behavioural changes.
Figure 01: B12 Deficiency
B12 deficiency can be diagnosed through physical examinations and blood tests. Furthermore, treatment options for B12 deficiency may include taking vitamin B12 shots in high doses by mouth or nose, dietary changes (animal-based food or fortified cereals), and taking multivitamins containing vitamin B12 daily.
What is Pernicious Anemia?
Pernicious anemia is one of the main causes of vitamin B12 deficiency. It is an autoimmune condition that prevents the body from absorbing vitamin B12. Without adequate vitamin B12, people will have fewer red blood cells carrying oxygen throughout the body. Pernicious anemia happens when the immune system produces antibodies that attack cells in the mucosal lining of the stomach and nerve cells. Moreover, the symptoms of this condition may include diarrhoea, lightheadedness, loss of appetite, pale skin, shortness of breath, heartburn, swollen, red tongue or bleeding gums, confusion, short-term memory loss, depression, loss of balance, numbness, and tingling in the hands and feet, problems in concentrating, irritability, hallucinations, delusions, and optic nerve degeneration that affects the eyesight.
Figure 02: Pernicious Anemia
Pernicious anemia can be diagnosed through physical examination, blood tests, upper endoscopy, and neurological tests. Furthermore, treatment options for pernicious anemia may include intramuscular vitamin B12 injections or pills (hydroxocobalamin and cyanocobalamin) and immune suppression with corticosteroids or azathioprine.
What are the Similarities Between B12 Deficiency and Pernicious Anemia?
- B12 deficiency and pernicious anemia are two associated medical disorders.
- Pernicious anemia is one cause of vitamin B12 deficiency.
- Both disorders may have similar symptoms, such as weakness, diarrhoea, confusion, etc.
- These disorders can be diagnosed through physical examination and blood tests.
- They can be treated by providing vitamin B12 shots.
What is the Difference Between B12 Deficiency and Pernicious Anemia?
B12 deficiency is a disorder due to not getting enough vitamin B12 (cobalamin) to the body, while pernicious anemia is an autoimmune disorder that causes diminishment in dietary vitamin B12 absorption leading to the B12 deficiency and subsequent megaloblastic anemia. Thus, this is the key difference between B12 deficiency and pernicious anemia.
Furthermore, B12 deficiency is caused by atrophic gastritis, pernicious anemia, conditions that affect the small intestine such as Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, misuse of alcohol, immune system disorders such as Graves’ disease or lupus and certain medications that interfere with the absorption of B12 like proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), H2 blockers and diabetes medicine (metformin). On the other hand, pernicious anemia is caused by issues in the immune system that produces antibodies to attack cells in the mucosal lining of the stomach and nerve cells.
The below infographic presents the differences between B12 deficiency and pernicious anemia in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – B12 Deficiency vs Pernicious Anemia
B12 deficiency and pernicious anemia are two associated medical disorders. Pernicious anemia is one of the causes of vitamin B12 deficiency. Moreover, both these disorders may have similar symptoms, such as weakness, lightheadedness, pale skin, diarrhoea, confusion, etc. B12 deficiency refers to not getting enough vitamin B12 (cobalamin) to the body. Pernicious anemia is an autoimmune disorder that causes reduces the absorption of dietary vitamin B12, leading to B12 deficiency and subsequent megaloblastic anemia. So, this summarizes the difference between B12 deficiency and pernicious anemia.
Reference:
1. “Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic.
2. “Pernicious Anemia.” NEJM – the New England Journal of Medicine.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Signs of Vitamin b12 Deficiency” By Farooq Nawaz (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr
2. “Pernicious anaemia, graph Wellcome L0005808” By Welcome Images (CC BY 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia