What does it mean if your methylmalonic acid is low?
Low levels of B-12 can cause anemia. This is when your body does not make enough red blood cells. This test is used to diagnose a mild and early shortage of vitamin B-12. A high level of MMA can mean that you have a low level of B-12.
What conditions are associated with low levels of methylmalonic acid?
Symptoms of B-12 deficiency include:
- cognitive impairment.
- gait or walking abnormalities, which are usually measured during a standard neurologic examination.
- irritability.
- jaundice, which is often seen in people with liver disease.
- peripheral neuropathy, which occurs when the nerves are malfunctioning.
- weakness.
What is a methylmalonic acid urine test?
This test measures the amount of a substance called methylmalonic acid (MMA) in your urine. MMA is typically made in tiny amounts when you digest protein. Your body makes large amounts of MMA if you have a decrease in the amount of vitamin B-12. MMA is excreted in your urine.
Can low B12 cause urinary problems?
Incontinence, specifically the lack of the bladder to hold urine, is a sign of B12 deficiency. When incontinence occurs, a person may experience leakage of urine. Although it could be caused by many things, incontinence that resolves when vitamin B12 is increased can be attributed to a vitamin B12 deficiency.
What is pernicious anemia caused by?
A lack of vitamin B12 (vitamin B12 deficiency) causes the signs and symptoms of pernicious anemia. Without enough vitamin B12, your body can’t make enough healthy red blood cells, which causes anemia.
What does methylmalonic acid serum test for?
What is it used for? An MMA test is most often used to diagnose a vitamin B12 deficiency. This test is also used to diagnose methylmalonic acidemia, a rare genetic disorder. It is usually included as part of a series of tests called a newborn screening.
What is MMA syndrome?
Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) is an inherited condition caused by a faulty gene. Children with MMA lack a protein that the body needs to break down fats and cholesterol inside cells. As a result, these substances build up in cells, causing damage to the brain, liver, kidneys, and other organs that gets worse over time.
What deficiencies cause urination?
Eat a vitamin-rich diet. Studies have found that vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased urination.
Why does B12 make me pee?
But vitamins can contain many times that amount, especially if you take a vitamin B supplement. And because riboflavin and other B vitamins are water-soluble, your body dissolves any excess and excretes it in — you guessed it — your urine.
Who is most likely to get pernicious anemia?
Pernicious anemia is more common in people of Northern European and African descent than in other ethnic groups. Older people also are at higher risk for the condition. This is mainly due to a lack of stomach acid and intrinsic factor, which prevents the small intestine from absorbing vitamin B12.
Can you have B12 deficiency with normal MMA?
As the natural course of vitamin B12 deficiency is not well-known, it cannot be excluded that participants with low serum B12 but normal MMA may be in the early, still asymptomatic phase of their deficiency.