Everyone Healthy Library
Megaloblastic Macrocytic Anemias
Condition / disease reference page from the Everyone Healthy database.
Connected health information
Explore this condition in a clear order
Linked signs and symptoms
5Each sign/symptom opens its own page and links back to related conditions.
Linked drugs / medications
0No linked drugs are listed yet.
Treatments, therapies and supportive options
7Grouped by treatment type. These are educational database links, not personal treatment recommendations. Evidence labels are shown only where stored in the EH database.
Medical therapy
1Alternative and complementary therapies
1Vitamins and minerals
3Vitamins
1Linked diagnostic tests and investigations
34These are pulled from both EH diagnostic-test link tables, including the older large test-link table.
- 2,3 Diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) Concentration
- Bleeding Time (Ivy Method)
- Blood Film (Peripheral Blood Smear)
- Blood Uric Acid Concentration Test
- Bone Marrow Test
- Chloride Concentration (Blood)
- Cholesterol Concentration
- Cholinesterase (Serum Acetylcholinesterase, Pseudocholinesterase)
- complete Blood Count (CBC)
- erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)
- Erythropoietin (Ep) Concentration
- Ferritin Concentration
- Fibrinogen Concentration test
- Folic Acid (Folate) Concentration
- Free Erythrocyte Protoporphyrin (FEP) Concentration
- Glucose 6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) Concentration
- Heamatocrit (Hct)
- Hemoglobin (Hb) A2 Concentration
- Hemoglobin (Hb) Concentration
- Lactate Dehydrogenase Concentration
- Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH) Weight Test
- Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC)
- Mean Platelet Volume (MPV)
- Oxygen Saturation Test (Arterial Blood, SaO2)
- Partial Pressure of Arterial Carbon Dioxide (PCO2, PaCO2)
- Partial Pressure of Oxygen (PO2)
- Red Blood Cell (RBC) Count
- Red Blood Cell Folate Levels
- Reticulocyte Count
- Serum B12 Levels
- Serum Chemistry
- Shilling Test
- Vitamin B12 (VB12) Concentration
- Vitamin B12 (VB12) Concentration
Biological and test markers
23This visual map uses existing EH database links to show biological agents and lab markers reported as increased, decreased, or associated with this condition. These are educational relationships only; test results must be interpreted by a qualified clinician because ranges vary by lab, method, age, sex and clinical context.
Often increased
14- 2,3 Diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 10.5–14 µmol/gLinked diagnostic tests12, 3 Diphosphoglycerate (2
- Chloride (Blood, Cl)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 97–106 mEq/L; Birth - 2wks: 94–106 mEq/LLinked diagnostic tests1Chloride Concentration (Blood)
- Cholesterol (Total)Reference range exampleInfant (0 - 1y): 75–180 mg/dL; Adult ( > 16y): 0–190 mg/dLLinked diagnostic tests1Cholesterol Concentration
- Erythrocyte Sedimentation RateReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 0–20 mm/Hr; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 0–15 mm/HrLinked diagnostic tests1erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)
- Erythropoietin (Ep)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 6–36 units/LLinked diagnostic tests1Erythropoietin (Ep) Concentration
- FerritinReference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 7–140 µg/L; Adult ( > 16y), Female: 18–160 µg/LLinked diagnostic tests1Ferritin Concentration
- Glucose 6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 10.1–18.5 U/gHb; Birth - 2wks: 12–23 U/gHbLinked diagnostic tests1Glucose 6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) Concentration
- Hemoglobin (Hb)Reference range exampleFemale: 78–100 gm/dL; Male: 76–100 gm/dLLinked diagnostic tests3Hemoglobin (Hb) Concentration, Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH) Weight Test
- Hemoglobin (Hb) A2Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 1.5–3.5 %; Birth - 2wks: 0–1.8 %Linked diagnostic tests1Hemoglobin (Hb) A2 Concentration
- Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH)Reference range exampleInfant (0 - 1y): 120–250 units/L; Adult ( > 16y): 100–200 units/LLinked diagnostic tests1Lactate Dehydrogenase Concentration
- Mean Platelet VolumeReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 7.4–10.4 µm3Linked diagnostic tests1Mean Platelet Volume (MPV)
- Template Bleeding TimeReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 2.5–9 MinutesLinked diagnostic tests1Bleeding Time (Ivy Method)
- Uric Acid, BloodReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 2.5–7 mg/dL; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 4–8 mg/dLLinked diagnostic tests1Blood Uric Acid Concentration Test
- Vitamin B12 (VB12)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 130–670 pmol/LLinked diagnostic tests1Vitamin B12 (VB12) Concentration
Often decreased
9- CholinesteraseReference range exampleAll: 6–19 U/mLLinked diagnostic tests1Cholinesterase (Serum Acetylcholinesterase, Pseudocholinesterase)
- FibrinogenReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 150–400 mg/dLLinked diagnostic tests1Fibrinogen Concentration test
- Folic Acid (Folate)Reference range exampleInfant (0 - 1y): 14–51 ng/mL; Child (0 - 16y): 5–21 ng/mLLinked diagnostic tests1Folic Acid (Folate) Concentration
- Free Erythrocyte Protoporphyrin (FEP)Reference range exampleAll: 16–37 µg/dLLinked diagnostic tests1Free Erythrocyte Protoporphyrin (FEP) Concentration
- Oxygen Saturation (Arterial Blood, SaO2)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 95–100 %; Newborn (0 - 1month): 40–90 %Linked diagnostic tests1Oxygen Saturation Test (Arterial Blood, SaO2)
- Partial Pressure of Arterial Carbon Dioxide (PaCO2)Reference range exampleAll: 35–45 mm HgLinked diagnostic tests1Partial Pressure of Arterial Carbon Dioxide (PCO2, PaCO2)
- Partial Pressure of Arterial Oxygen (PaO2)Reference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 80–100 mm Hg; Newborn (0 - 1month): 60–70 mm HgLinked diagnostic tests1Partial Pressure of Oxygen (PO2)
- RBC MassReference range exampleFemale: 36–48 %; Male: 42–52 %Linked diagnostic tests1Heamatocrit (Hct)
- Red Blood Cells (RBC)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y), Female: 3.6–5 106/mm3; Adult ( > 16y), Male: 4.2–5.4 106/mm3Linked diagnostic tests1Red Blood Cell (RBC) Count
Other associated markers
0No markers in this group.
Introduction / full article
Megaloblastic Macrocytic Anemias
Efficacy of Alternative and Other Treatments According to GRADE* Ranking:
Vitamin B Complex [1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14]:
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help in preventing some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present. Please note, this acts as a PREVENTATIVE treatment, and not necessarily symptomatic relief. Supplements should only be taken if they contain no more than 100% of the recommended daily value
Recommendation: weakly in favor (Vitamin B may help in preventing anaemia due to its role in the production of red blood cells)
Grade of Evidence: moderate quality of evidence
Chlorella (Green Algae, Chlorella Pyrenoidosa) [1, 2, 3, 4]:
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.
Recommendation: no recommendation (There is insufficient evidence to support claims that Chlorella helps to treat anemia in any way)
Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence
* www.gradeworkinggroup.org
Summary References
Treatments:
1. Ades T, Alteri R, Gansler T, Yeargin P, "Complete Guide to Complimentary & Alternative Cancer Therapies", American Cancer Society, Atlanta USA, 2009
2. Nakano, S et al. “Maternal-fetal distribution and transfer of dioxins in pregnant women in Japan, and attempts to reduce maternal transfer with Chlorella (Chlorella pyrenoidosa) supplements...” Chemosphere 2005 Dec; 61(9): 1244–55.
3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=retrieve&db=pubmed&list_uids=11347287&dopt=Abstract
4. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/chlorella
5. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/vitamin-b-complex
6. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-folate.html
7. Butterworth RF. Thiamin. In: Shils ME, Shike M, Ross AC, Caballero B, Cousins RJ, editors. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, 10th ed. Baltimore: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2006.
8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18220605
9. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6935482.stm
10. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19061687
11. Gropper, S. S, Smith, J. L., Groff, J. L. (2009). Advanced nutrition and human metabolism. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage learning.
12. Otten, J. J., Hellwig, J. P., Meyers, L. D. (2008). Dietary reference intakes: The essential guide to nutrient requirements. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press
13. http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/vitamin-b1.htm
14. Higdon, Jane (2003). "Biotin". An evidence-based approach to vitamins and minerals. Thieme. ISBN 9781588901248.