TY - JOUR
T1 - Association of vitamin B12, folate, and homocysteine with COVID-19 severity and mortality
T2 - A systematic review and meta-analysis
AU - Ulloque-Badaracco, Juan R.
AU - Al-Kassab-Córdova, Ali
AU - Alarcon-Braga, Esteban A.
AU - Hernandez-Bustamante, Enrique A.
AU - Huayta-Cortez, Miguel A.
AU - Cabrera-Guzmán, Juan C.
AU - Robles-Valcarcel, Pamela
AU - Benites-Zapata, Vicente A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.
PY - 2024/1/1
Y1 - 2024/1/1
N2 - Objective: We aimed to review the available evidence on the association between vitamin B12, folate, and homocysteine levels with worse outcomes among COVID-19 patients. Methods: The search was carried out in ten databases simultaneously run on 10 May 2023, without language restrictions. We included cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies. The random-effects meta-analysis was performed using the Sidik-Jonkman method and corrected 95% confidence intervals using the truncated Knapp-Hartung standard errors. Standardized mean difference and 95% CI was used as the measure effect size. Results: Thirteen articles were included in this review (n = 2134). Patients with COVID-19 who did not survive had the highest serum vitamin B12 values (SMD: 1.05; 95% CI: 0.31–1.78; p = 0.01, I2 = 91.22%). In contrast, low serum folate values were associated with patients with severe COVID-19 (SMD: −0.77; 95% CI: −1.35 to −0.19; p = 0.02, I2 = 59.09%). The remaining tested differences did not yield significant results. Conclusion: Elevated serum levels of vitamin B12 were associated with higher mortality in patients with COVID-19. Severe cases of COVID-19 were associated with low serum folate levels. Future studies should incorporate a larger sample size.
AB - Objective: We aimed to review the available evidence on the association between vitamin B12, folate, and homocysteine levels with worse outcomes among COVID-19 patients. Methods: The search was carried out in ten databases simultaneously run on 10 May 2023, without language restrictions. We included cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies. The random-effects meta-analysis was performed using the Sidik-Jonkman method and corrected 95% confidence intervals using the truncated Knapp-Hartung standard errors. Standardized mean difference and 95% CI was used as the measure effect size. Results: Thirteen articles were included in this review (n = 2134). Patients with COVID-19 who did not survive had the highest serum vitamin B12 values (SMD: 1.05; 95% CI: 0.31–1.78; p = 0.01, I2 = 91.22%). In contrast, low serum folate values were associated with patients with severe COVID-19 (SMD: −0.77; 95% CI: −1.35 to −0.19; p = 0.02, I2 = 59.09%). The remaining tested differences did not yield significant results. Conclusion: Elevated serum levels of vitamin B12 were associated with higher mortality in patients with COVID-19. Severe cases of COVID-19 were associated with low serum folate levels. Future studies should incorporate a larger sample size.
KW - COVID-19
KW - folate
KW - homocysteine
KW - mortality
KW - severity
KW - Vitamin B12
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85193719359&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/20503121241253957
DO - 10.1177/20503121241253957
M3 - Artículo de revisión
AN - SCOPUS:85193719359
SN - 2050-3121
VL - 12
JO - SAGE Open Medicine
JF - SAGE Open Medicine
ER -
