Vitamin B12 can alleviate metformin induced impaired cognition in diabetes

Vitamin B12 supplements may improve cognition in people taking metformin according to Australian research which shows some patients with diabetes who are on the widely-used biguanide have worse cognitive outcomes than those who are not on the drug.  The study, published in Diabetes Care this month, adds weight to previous studies which show patients who are taking metformin may be at increased risk for cognitive impairment and that the rate of vitamin B12 deficiency among patients who take metformin is approaching 30%. According to the authors, led by Dr Eileen Moore PhD, from Barwon Health in Geelong, Victoria, this type of B12 deficiency is thought to be due to an interaction between metformin and a receptor in the distal ileum, leading to some inhibition in the uptake of the vitamin.