I wish they had taken some real time to avoid repeating some of the common errors and making some "new" ones. But I am very happy to see any good attention to this issue.

Thank goodness they made the point that people can be damaged without being anemic. And, miracle of miracles, they didn't confuse "pernicious anemia" with an actual anemia. They did say that it was lack of intrinsic factor.

And what a dream doctor. Most would think the result of 200 was just fine, not to mention alarming. Most wouldn't be alarmed unless the result was under 100, some dinasaurs even 50. I know, I've met one.

Unfortunately, they repeated the old line about some people not becoming anemic early in their B12 deficiency. 12 years for that woman, and years for me while months from death. Early????!!!!! Others too. Old ways of saying things continue like old political sound bytes.

Although iron deficiency anemia often occurs along with B12 deficiency, the anemia that occurs in many due to B12 deficiency is not iron deficiency anemia as was said in the program. Megaloblastic or macrocytic anemia is the anemia B12 deficiency can cause.

They even confused stomach surgery with intestinal surgery. Removing a large portion of the distal ileum will cause malabsorption, as will removal of part of the stomach or bypassing it. But malabsorption acquired due to nothing anyone has done or undergone is far more common.

Contrary to what they said, intrinsic factor is not necessary for absorption of B12 into the blood. Intrinsic factor is necessary for absorption unless a very large oral dose is taken at once. This results in some absorption by default. This was discovered about 40 years ago, but it still isn't known by most doctors, probably because so many editors have not updated their B12 information for that long and longer.

Also, it is important to remember that although she had digestive symptoms, many who are severely deficient do not. And again I stress that symptoms vary tremendously and there are far too many possibilities to list.

Anyway, the program will do a lot of good. And fortunately for the woman featured, she hadn't been severely malabsorbing all that time or she would have been dead years ago.

rose