SERUM VITAMIN B12 LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH HEMORRHAGIC VS ISCHEMIC CEREBROVASCULAR EVENT.

Cerebral vascular events (CVA) have a high prevalence in our environment; they are the first cause of disability and the second cause of death in the world (6.6 million deaths). 71% of all strokes worldwide correspond to the ischemic type, which is defined as an infarction in the brain, spinal cord or retina; The remaining 10-40% are hemorrhagic and are due to rupture of cerebral arteries. Until epidemiological week 35 of 2022, 34,643 cases were reported in Mexico, for this week in 2021, 26,462 cases had been reported. Baja California is among the first three places in the country with the highest number of reported cases, the majority corresponding to the male sex. The key clinical characteristic is the sudden appearance of a focal neurological deficit. Imaging studies such as head computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging allow us to differentiate the subtype and mechanism of CVD since treatment differs markedly between CVD of ischemic origin and that of hemorrhagic origin. Vitamin B12 or cobalamin is a tetrapyrrole cofactor; One of its functions is to participate in the metabolism of homocysteine, which has been reported in various studies and it has been shown that high levels of this increase the risk of vascular diseases, such as stroke. On the other hand, vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to platelet dysfunction, causing significant bleeding. There are few protocols that have sought the direct association of cobalamin with CVD and even fewer with the hemorrhagic type. This condition is one of the main causes of admission to the Emergency Service of the General Hospital of Mexicali where they are given the necessary attention such as performing imaging studies and taking laboratory samples and based on the results the treatment to be followed is decided; However, measurements of vitamin B12 levels are not performed in this population. If the association is demonstrated, it could be implemented as a preventive measure for cerebral vascular events.