Frequency of Folate and Vitamin B12 Deficiency among Patients with Crohn's Disease

Ammar Farooq; Jahangir Anjum; Talat Zafar; Umer Farooq Khurshid

doi:10.70749/ijbr.v3i4.2435

Authors

Ammar Farooq Department of Medicine, DHQ Teaching Hospital, Mirpur, AJK, Pakistan.
Jahangir Anjum Department of Medicine, MBBS Medical College, Mirpur, AJK, Pakistan.
Talat Zafar Department of Medicine, DHQ Teaching Hospital, Mirpur, AJK, Pakistan.
Umer Farooq Khurshid Department of Medicine, DHQ Teaching Hospital, Mirpur, AJK, Pakistan.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70749/ijbr.v3i4.2435

Keywords:

Crohn's Disease, Vitamin B12 Deficiency, Folate Deficiency, Micronutrients, Socioeconomic Factors

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Crohn's Disease (CD) is associated with a high risk of micronutrient deficiencies due to chronic inflammation and malabsorption. The frequency and risk factors for Vitamin B12 and Folate deficiency in CD patients within low-middle-income countries (LMICs) like Pakistan remain poorly characterized. Aim of this study is to determine the frequency of Vitamin B12 and Folate deficiency and identify associated demographic and clinical factors in a cohort of Pakistani patients with CD. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Medicine at Divisional Headquarter Teaching Hospital, Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. 121 adult patients (aged 18-60 years) with confirmed Crohn's disease (CD) were enrolled after informed consent. Folate deficiency (<3 ng/mL) and vitamin B12 deficiency (<125 pg/mL) were determined through biochemistry analysis of blood serum. Data were analyzed using SPSS v25.0. Results: The prevalence of Vitamin B12 deficiency was 20.7% (n=25), while Folate deficiency was less common at 6.6% (n=8). Stratified analysis revealed that Vitamin B12 deficiency was significantly more prevalent in females (92.0% of deficient cases, p<0.001), older patients aged 46-60 years (92.0%, p<0.001), and those with no income (84.0%, p<0.001). In contrast, Folate deficiency showed a significant association with older age (75.0% in 46-60 years, p=0.023) and an unexpected link with overweight/obese BMI status (75.0%, p=0.011). No significant associations were found for either deficiency with disease duration. Conclusion: Vitamin B12 deficiency is highly prevalent in Pakistani CD patients, with risk disproportionately concentrated among older women from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Folate deficiency, while less common, presents a distinct profile associated with overweight. These findings highlight the critical need for proactive, targeted screening and supplementation strategies to mitigate the burden of micronutrient malnutrition in CD.

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