Supplementation with either multivitamins or multivitamins plus vitamin B12 may reduce the risk of sensory symptoms developing in individuals with early Parkinson’s disease

In May 2019 researchers from the USA published the results in their study to assess the effect of vitamin B12 supplementation in early Parkinson’s disease. It has already been noted that vitamin B12 levels are lower in individuals with Parkinson’s disease and that vitamin B12 deficiency has been associated with the development of neuropathy and early gait instability. A total of 1,741 individuals were included in the study and divided into four groups according to daily supplement use: namely no vitamin B12 (54%), multivitamin containing up to 100 μg vitamin B12 (41%), B12 of over 100 μg (2%), and multivitamin + B12 of over 100 μg (3%). The clinical outcomes of the various supplementations were assessed at 3 years for each group. Results showed that at 3 years there was no significant difference in clinical outcomes in the four groups. However, there was a trend towards a reduced risk for developing sensory symptoms in the groups taking multivitamins and the multivitamins plus vitamin B12 when compared to the group taking no supplement which warrants further study.

Dietiker C et al. Characterization of Vitamin B12 Supplementation and Correlation with Clinical Outcomes in a Large Longitudinal Study of Early Parkinson’s Disease. J Mov Disord. 2019 May;12(2):91-96

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