Exam aid · Sciences
Vitamins & Deficiencies
Vitamin → coenzyme → deficiency disease, plus the drugs that cause deficiencies.
Tables to memorise
Cover the right-hand column and test yourself before checking.
Vitamins
| Vitamin | Deficiency (coenzyme / note) |
|---|---|
| A (retinol) | Night blindness, xerophthalmia; teratogenic in excess |
| D | Rickets, osteomalacia |
| E | Haemolysis, neuropathy |
| K | Bleeding; haemorrhagic disease of the newborn |
| B1 (thiamine) | Beriberi, Wernicke–Korsakoff (TPP) |
| B2 (riboflavin) | Angular stomatitis (FAD, FMN) |
| B3 (niacin) | Pellagra: dermatitis, diarrhoea, dementia (NAD) |
| B5 (pantothenic acid) | Rare (coenzyme A) |
| B6 (pyridoxine) | Neuropathy, seizures (PLP) |
| B7 (biotin) | Dermatitis, hair loss (carboxylases) |
| B9 (folate) | Megaloblastic anaemia, neural tube defects |
| B12 (cobalamin) | Megaloblastic anaemia + neuropathy |
| C (ascorbic acid) | Scurvy (collagen hydroxylation) |
Minerals and trace elements
| Element | Deficiency / role |
|---|---|
| Iron | Microcytic hypochromic anaemia |
| Iodine | Goitre, hypothyroidism, cretinism |
| Zinc | Poor wound healing, growth failure; given in childhood diarrhoea |
| Calcium | Tetany, osteoporosis |
| Fluoride | Dental caries (excess causes fluorosis) |
| Selenium | Glutathione peroxidase cofactor |
| Copper | Anaemia, neutropenia; excess in Wilson's disease |
| Cobalt | Part of vitamin B12 |
Drug-induced deficiencies
| Drug | Deficiency |
|---|---|
| Isoniazid | Pyridoxine (B6) |
| Metformin | Vitamin B12 |
| Methotrexate, trimethoprim, phenytoin | Folate |
| Long-term PPIs | Magnesium, B12 |
| Warfarin | Antagonises vitamin K (therapeutic) |
| Enzyme-inducing antiepileptics | Vitamin D |
One-liners examiners love
- Give thiamine before glucose in malnourished or alcoholic patients.
- Folate alone corrects B12 anaemia but not its neurological damage.
- Vitamin D deficiency is common in Pakistan despite sunshine.
- Raw egg white (avidin) binds biotin.
- Fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K can accumulate to toxic levels.
Memory aids
- The 3 Ds of pellagra
- Dermatitis, Diarrhoea, Dementia (and Death if untreated) from niacin deficiency.
- ADEK stays in fat
- Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble.
Now turn it into marks
Attempt MCQs on these topics while the sheet is fresh. Anything you get wrong goes to your incorrect list for the next round.
Most useful for
More cheat sheets
- Drug Name Stems
- Drugs of Choice
- Signature Adverse Effects
- Enzyme Inducers & Inhibitors
- Drug Sources
- DRAP & Regulatory Affairs
- Forensic Toxicology & Narcotics
- Antidotes & Poisons
- Prescription Abbreviations
- Microbiology & Vaccines
- PK & Calculation Formulas
- Normal Lab Values
- Therapeutic Ranges & Targets
- QC Tests & Pharmacopoeial Limits
- Biostatistics & Epidemiology
- Gulf Exam Clinical Essentials
- Gulf Licensing Pathway