Vitamin B12 and Chronic Diarrhea Link to HIV and AIDS

Human immunodeficiency virus, also known as HIV, is no longer a death sentence. There is no cure for HIV, but there are effective treatments available that prevent death from the virus. HIV attacks the body’s ability to fend off disease and infections, making a person infected with it more likely to develop illnesses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than a million people live with HIV in the United States. Research suggests a link between HIV and vitamin B-12 due to its effects in supporting the body’s immune system. Practicing safe sex and avoiding drug use help prevent the spread of HIV.

Vitamin B-12

Vitamin B-12 is an essential water-soluble vitamin naturally found in fish, meat and dairy foods. B-12, taken with other B-complex vitamins, helps maintain healthy nerve cells and manage red blood cell formation. The recommended daily dietary allowance of vitamin B-12 for people 14 and older is 2.4 mg per day. Vitamin B-12 deficiency is rare because the body stores B-12 for months. However, older individuals are at greater risk of developing B-12 deficiency. Some illnesses may affect the body’s ability to absorb B-12, which leads to a deficiency. B-12 deficiency symptoms include dizziness, tiredness, depression, poor memory, dementia and numbness of hands and limbs.

HIV

HIV attacks the body’s immune system, which increases your chances of developing a serious illness such as cancer, the flu and AIDS. An exchange of body fluids spreads HIV. This most commonly occurs through needle sharing, unprotected sex and mother-to-fetus transmission. Treatment for HIV involves a blood test to determine the CD4 count in the blood and the amount of HIV in the blood. CD4 is the cells the virus attacks; a count of less than 200 CD4 cells indicates there is a high chance of developing an HIV-related disease.

B-12 Deficiency & HIV

Christine Balt of Indiana University says people with HIV often suffer from vitamin B-12 deficiency. "The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care" published a study of 63 medical records in a Midwestern medical center in 2000. Balt also states that followup studies are needed to support the evidence.
Research & Causes

The Department of Gastroenterology in Cleveland Clinic Florida conducted a study in 1994 to find the relation between malabsorption and deficiency of vitamin B-12 in HIV-infected patients with chronic diarrhea. Researchers measured the B-12 levels in 36 patients with HIV and chronic diarrhea. The study found that malabsorption of B-12 occurs in HIV patients due to problems in the proximal and distal small bowel. The researchers recommend a screening for vitamin B-12 deficiency in HIV patients with chronic diarrhea.