What Causes Elevated Urine MMA Levels?

Elevated urine MMA levels can have various causes, just like most other symptoms. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose elevated urine MMA levels, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "elevated urine MMA levels" as a symptom. For example, vitamin B12 need.

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

copper supplementation

specific muscle weakness

long-term vegetarian/vegan diet

some vitamin B12 supplementation

diarrhea for 1-3 months

raw food diet

frequent confusion/disorientation

macrocytic red cells

having had a small bowel resection

broad-spectrum antibiotic use

history of B12 deficiency

frequent episodes of diarrhea

... and more than 10 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of elevated urine MMA levels.

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate having had recent lab tests, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:

Urine MMA. Normal levels are below 3.8ug of MMA per mg of creatinine (below 3.6umol MMA per mmol of creatinine); Elevated levels are anything above this.

Possible responses:

→ Don't know
→ Normal
→ Elevated

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate either normal urine MMA levels or elevated urine MMA levels, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as Vitamin B12 Requirement. The UMMA test is a functional assay. UMMA reflects cobalamin (Vitamin B12) activity at the tissue/cellular level since MMA levels are directly related to a B12-dependent metabolic pathway. The conversion of MMA to succinic acid requires vitamin B12. The metabolic pathway is: MMA → (coenzyme B12 ) → succinic acid.

Vitamin B12 deficiency impedes this pathway and causes MMA levels to increase. Thus, as water builds up behind a dam, high UMMA levels indicate a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™