Supplement guide
B12 supplements and cardiovascular risk: what is effective?
Supplements can correct a deficiency, but they are not a shortcut for cardiovascular disease prevention and should be selected around the cause of the low result.
Test before high-dose treatment
Ask a clinician whether a repeat B12 level, complete blood count, methylmalonic acid or homocysteine is appropriate. Symptoms and blood results should guide treatment rather than a cardiovascular-risk headline alone.
Oral versus injected B12
Oral cyanocobalamin or methylcobalamin works for many people. Injections may be used when absorption is impaired, deficiency is severe, or neurological symptoms need urgent treatment. The right choice is individual.
Do not megadose for prevention
B12 supplementation is effective for correcting low B12, but evidence does not support using high-dose B12 as a stand-alone treatment to prevent cardiovascular disease in people who are not deficient.