Evaluating Physician Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices in Screening and Supplementation for Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Type 2 Diabetes Patients Treated with Metformin

Samaher Z AlSaad,1 Razan K AlHadlaq,2 Enas Fahad Alaraik,2 Abdullah O Alnomany,3 Haytham I AlSaif,4 Turky H Almigbal,4 Mohammed A Batais,4 Abdullah A Alrasheed4 1Department of Family Medicine, Riyadh Third Cluster, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Family medicine, King Saud Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 3College of Medicine, Majmaah University. Majmaah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Abdullah A Alrasheed, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Email [email protected] and Aim: Long-term metformin use in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patients is associated with Vitamin B12 deficiency. This study aims to evaluate physicians’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding Vitamin B12 screening and supplementation in this context.Methods: A survey was administered to physicians across various specialties in government hospitals and primary care centers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from January 2019 to January 2020. The survey assessed their knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning Vitamin B12 deficiency screening and supplementation.Results: Of the 402 participating physicians, 94.0% (378 respondents) demonstrated sufficient knowledge about Vitamin B12 deficiency. However, 26.1% believed that Vitamin B12 supplementation does not necessitate screening. 55.7% did not prescribe Vitamin B12 prophylactically, 41.5% omitted neurological examinations in patients presenting with neuropathy, and 22.4% were unaware of the recommended Vitamin B12 supplement dose. Only 49.8% routinely screened for Vitamin B12 deficiency in symptomatic patients. Physicians with more extended years of experience showed significantly better knowledge about Vitamin B12 screening and supplementation (p< 0.001).Conclusion: While most physicians were knowledgeable about Vitamin B12 deficiency and supplementation, a substantial gap in translating this knowledge into practice was observed. There is a critical need for institutional oversight to ensure adherence to American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines for Vitamin B12 screening and supplementation in T2DM patients on long-term metformin therapy.Keywords: knowledge, attitude, practice, vitamin B12 deficiency, Type 2 diabetes mellitus