VITAMIN B6 DEFICIENCY

Course overview

WATER-SOLUBLE VITAMIN B6 IS WIDELY PRESENT IN MANY FOODS, INCLUDING MEAT, FISH, NUTS, BEANS, GRAINS, FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. AS A COENZYME, VITAMIN B6 IS INVOLVED AS A COFACTOR IN OVER 100 ENZYMATIC REACTIONS INCLUDING AMINO ACID METABOLISM, CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM, AND LIPID METABOLISM. IT CONTRIBUTES TO COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT VIA NEUROTRANSMITTER SYNTHESIS, IMMUNE FUNCTION VIA INTERLEUKIN-2 PRODUCTION, AND HEMOGLOBIN FORMATION. VITAMIN B6 DEFICIENCY MAY PRESENT WITH SEIZURES, MENTAL STATUS CHANGES, NORMOCYTIC ANEMIA, A NONSPECIFIC PRURITIC RASH, CHEILITIS, GLOSSITIS, AND DEPRESSION. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION, AND TREATMENT OF VITAMIN B6 DEFICIENCY AND EXPLAINS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN MANAGING THE PATIENTS AFFECTED BY THE VITAMIN B6 DEFICIENCY.