Vitamin B12

Cobalamin Test, Cyanocobalamin Test

What To Think About

  • Vitamin B12 values that are slightly lower than normal (borderline) do not always mean that a person needs vitamin B12 injections. Borderline values should be evaluated with other tests.
  • Folic acid levels can be high in people who lack vitamin B12. A folic acid test is often done at the same time as a vitamin B12 test. For more information, see the medical test Folic Acid.
  • Methylmalonic acid is a substance in the blood that increases when vitamin B12 levels decrease. A methylmalonic acid (MMA) blood test may be done to help evaluate vitamin B12 test results.
  • A change in homocysteine levels may also affect a change in vitamin B12 levels because of metabolism changes. For more information, see the medical test Homocysteine.

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Author: Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS Last Updated: December 19, 2008
Medical Review: Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine
Brian Leber, MDCM, FRCPC - Hematology

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Topic Contents
 Test Overview
 Why It Is Done
 How To Prepare
 How It Is Done
 How It Feels
 Risks
 Results
 What Affects the Test
Arrow PointerWhat To Think About
 References
 Credits