What causes pernicious anemia (PA)?
ANSWER
Vitamin B-12 is a crucial part of this process. If your body doesn’t absorb enough from the food you eat, your red blood cells will be too big to travel well through your body. Because of this, your body will make less of them. And the cells that are made will die off sooner than they should.
The reason this happens is often due to the lack of a stomach protein called “intrinsic factor” (IF). Your body can’t absorb vitamin B-12 without it.
From: What Is Pernicious Anemia? WebMD Medical Reference
Reviewed by Carol DerSarkissian on May 08, 2019
SOURCES:
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: “What Is Pernicious Anemia?”
Pernicious Anaemia Society: “Patients FAQ,” “What are the signs and symptoms?”
Johns Hopkins Medicine: “Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia.”
National Health Service (U.K.): “Vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia – Diagnosis.”
Mayo Clinic: “Vitamin Deficiency Anemia.”
FamilyDoctor.org: “Vitamin B-12.”
SOURCES:
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: “What Is Pernicious Anemia?”
Pernicious Anaemia Society: “Patients FAQ,” “What are the signs and symptoms?”
Johns Hopkins Medicine: “Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia.”
National Health Service (U.K.): “Vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia – Diagnosis.”
Mayo Clinic: “Vitamin Deficiency Anemia.”
FamilyDoctor.org: “Vitamin B-12.”
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