Mandated food additive aimed at better fetal development may pose risk to seniors.

Growing older carries more risks, among them the risk for vitamin B-12 deficiency. For most people, B-12 deficiency is more commonly associated with anemia than with its more subtle but potentially grave complications. Emerging evidence points to B-12 deficiency as an increasingly common reason behind high levels of homocysteine in the blood. A presentation "Vitamin B-12: deficiency, evolution in diagnosis, and at-risk populations" was given by Ralph Green, MD, professor and chair of the department of pathology at the University of California-Davis Health System, and pathologist-in-chief at the University of California-Davis Medical Center, Sacramento. Green offered his remarks during the 55th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) in Philadelphia. Research is evolving to better ways to identify true B-12 deficiency. The key to preventing B-12 deficiency is a balanced diet, particularly among the elderly. But some individuals, despite following a nutritious diet plan, may not be able to absorb a food's vitamins due to gastrointestinal problems. Therefore, to rule out (or in) B-12 deficiency, screening is recommended.