Vitamin B12 Test

$49

Vitamin B12 is crucial to your health. Do you get enough?

Vitamin B12 plays a key role in some of the body's most essential functions, from making red blood cells and DNA to supporting the nervous system.

This Vitamin B12 Test measures the level of vitamin B12 (also called cobalamin) found in your blood. A vitamin B12 deficiency can cause fatigue, muscle weakness, intestinal problems, numbness, memory loss and anemia. If left untreated, a B12 deficiency may lead to irreversible nerve damage. Elevated levels of vitamin B12 may indicate health conditions such as liver disease or diabetes.

Vitamin B12 Test

$49

Test Details

Sample Type: Blood

Collection Method: In person at a Labcorp location

Age: 18+

Results: 1 day from when your sample arrives at our lab

HSA/FSA: Accepted

Test must be taken by purchaser

Preparation: If you’re taking a supplement containing biotin (also called vitamin B7 or B8, vitamin H, or coenzyme R), commonly found in products promoting nail, skin and hair health, it is recommended that you wait at least 72 hours from your last dose before sample collection.

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Seeking preventative care?

Early detection and treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency is important.

Early detection and treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency is important.

If left untreated, it can cause more serious blood disorders and it can even lead to neurologic problems.¹

Concerned about deficiencies?

All vitamin B12 comes from the food you eat or any vitamins and supplements you may take.

All vitamin B12 comes from the food you eat or any vitamins and supplements you may take.

A risk of B12 deficiency may occur if you don’t get enough from your diet or are unable to absorb enough from the foods and supplements you eat.²

Are you at risk?

Those at greater risk for developing vitamin B12 deficiency may include people who:²

Are age 65 and older

Have certain autoimmune conditions such as atrophic gastritis and pernicious anemia; and GI conditions such as celiac disease or Crohn’s disease. People who have had stomach or intestinal surgery. People who are following a strict vegetarian or vegan diet
Take certain medications such as metformin for diabetes or antacids such as omeprazole or ranitidine, which can affect B12 absorption

1. Harvard Health Publishing. Vitamin B12 deficiency can be sneaky and harmful. Harvard Health Publishing website. Updated March 23, 2022. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/vitamin-b12-deficiency-can-be-sneaky-harmful-201301105780

2. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin B12. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements website. Updated July 7, 2021. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-Consumer/

3. Reinstatler L, Qi YP, Williamson RS, et al. Association of biochemical B12 deficiency with metformin therapy and vitamin B12 supplements: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2006. Diabetes Care. 2012 Feb;35(2):327-33. doi: 10.2337/dc11-1582.

4. Mayo Clinic. Vitamin Deficiency Anemia. Mayo Clinic website. Updated January 18, 2022. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/vitamin-deficiency-anemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355025

5. Bermejo F, Algaba A, Guerra I, et al. Should we monitor vitamin B12 and folate levels in Crohn's disease patients? Scand J Gastroenterol. 2013 Nov;48(11):1272-7. doi: 10.3109/00365521.2013.836752.

What's Tested

Vitamin B12

Measures the amount of vitamin B-12, a water-soluble vitamin that plays a vital role in the health of nerves and red blood cells.

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Purchase Your Test

Simply purchase this test online. A healthcare provider will review and approve your test requests; no healthcare provider visit is required.

Provide Your Sample

Visit a Labcorp location near you for sample collection. Visits may be scheduled online.

Get Your Results

View your easy-to-read results online in your Labcorp Patient™ account, including Linked Accounts. For certain results that require prompt attention, you will also be contacted by phone or mail.

Patient Service Centers

Labs in more than 2,000 locations across the country.

Find a Location Near You

Your testing will be performed in a CLIA-certified clinical laboratory. Labcorp provides leading-edge medical laboratory tests and services through a national network of primary clinical laboratories and specialty testing laboratories. Our labs perform regular quality assurance testing to ensure our results are accurate.
Your results will be provided to you through our secure online portal to view or print. Results are also made available through a secure portal to the independent healthcare provider who placed your test order. If you are accessing your results through your Labcorp Patient™ account, all users linked to the account will have access to all OnDemand test results. Results may also be provided to a local, state, and/or federal health authority; for example, many states require the testing laboratory and physician to report test results for certain communicable diseases, such as COVID-19, to local or state health departments.

If you have questions or comments regarding the Labcorp Notice of Privacy Practices, or have a complaint about our use or disclosure of your PHI or our privacy practices, please contact: privacyofficer@labcorp.com, call us at (877) 234-4722 (877-23-HIPAA) and ask for the Labcorp HIPAA Privacy Officer, or send a written request to: HIPAA Privacy Officer, Labcorp, 531 South Spring Street, Burlington, NC 27215. You also may file a complaint with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Visit the Labcorp OnDemand® website to browse and purchase laboratory tests and create your Labcorp Patient™ account to view your results. All Labcorp OnDemand testing requires an order from an authorized healthcare professional. For your convenience, Labcorp OnDemand has contracted with independent professional entities (collectively, Providers) to deliver healthcare provider services. Visit a Labcorp location for sample collection; or, if using an at-home collection kit, collect your sample yourself. We’ll let you know when your results are ready and can be accessed through your Labcorp Patient™ account.