Vitamin B12 / Folate
Last reviewed 25 August 2026 · Evidence-graded review — see Methodology
Both are required for DNA synthesis and neurological function, and deficiency in either produces macrocytic anaemia and, if it runs long enough, irreversible neurological damage. The case for testing rests almost entirely on who is being tested rather than on the test itself.
Well-established diagnostic tests within a macrocytic anaemia or neuropathy workup. Deficiency is common in the elderly, in vegans and vegetarians, after bariatric surgery, and with long-term metformin or proton-pump inhibitor use. Routine universal screening of asymptomatic, low-risk young adults is not guideline-recommended.
Singapore guidance
Not covered in the current review
Singapore’s national screening committee has not reviewed this test in the current volume of its report, which covers nine conditions. That is not a verdict either way.
Source: Screening Test Review Committee report 2026, Volume 1 (Academy of Medicine Singapore and Ministry of Health, February 2026). The full national list · How this is used.
What you would actually pay
- Healthier SG
- Not subsidised
- MediSave
- Not among the screenings named for outpatient claims
Source: Healthier SG Screening (HealthHub) and MediSave outpatient care (Ministry of Health). Absence from either list is not a statement that the test is discouraged — only that no subsidy or claim applies. Gross prices compared.
What it costs when it is wrong
- Basis
- No published harm criterion found
- Severity
- Not documented
Not covered in the current volume of the committee’s report, so no harm criterion was found either way.
An empty finding, not a clean bill of health: this means nothing documented was found for this test. It is not a claim that the test is safe.
Screening harm is not only a laboratory question: the committee’s own criteria advise against a test when “the screening test, or follow-up tests arising from a positive screen, are associated with significant medical risks”. Sources on overdiagnosis → · How this is graded.
FAQ
Is the Vitamin B12 / Folate worth doing in Singapore?
Vitamin B12 / Folate carries a moderate evidence grade for screening adults without symptoms. It typically costs S$30–50 in Singapore. The usual schedule: targeted — every 1–2 years in at-risk groups; otherwise only if symptomatic or macrocytosis found on CBC. It is most appropriate for elderly adults, vegans/vegetarians, long-term metformin/PPI users, unexplained anaemia or neurological symptoms.
Weighing this against something else? Compare it with two other tests → · Price it inside a panel →