Beriberi is a vitamin deficiency disease, caused by inadequate bodily stores of thiamine , (Vitamin B1). It can damage the heart and nervous system.

Alternative Names

Thiamine deficiency; Vitamin B1 deficiency

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

There are two major manifestations of thiamine deficiency: cardiovascular disease (wet beriberi) and nervous system disease ("dry beriberi" and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome). Dry beriberi is somewhat of a misnomer because both types are most often caused by excessive alcohol consumption. Symptoms of dry beriberi include pain, tingling, or loss of sensation in hands and feet (peripheral neuropathy), muscle wasting with loss of function or paralysis of the lower extremities, and potentially brain damage and death. Wet beriberi is characterized by swelling (edema), increased heart rate (tachycardia), lung congestion, and enlarged heart related to congestive heart failure. Beriberi has become very rare in the United States because most foods are now vitamin-enriched, which means that a normal diet contains adequate amounts of thiamine . As a result, beriberi now occurs primarily in patients who abuse alcohol, because drinking heavily can lead to malnutrition and poor absorption and storage of thiamine. This is the cause of "wet brain" or Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which is alcohol-related brain damage affecting language and thinking. Beriberi can also occur in breast-fed infants when the mother has an inadequate intake of thiamine. It can also affect infants fed unusual formulas with inadequate thiamine supplements. Others at risk for beriberi include patients undergoing dialysis, patients receiving high doses of diuretics, and people in developing countries with limited diets who consume milled rice. Neurologic symptoms are caused by degeneration of the nerve fibers and their insulation ( myelin sheath). Heart failure is the most common cause of death in people with beriberi.

Signs and tests

Physical examination may show signs of congestive heart failure , including symmetrically swollen lower legs, fluid in the lungs, and elevated neck veins with labored breathing, a rapid heartbeat, and an enlarged heart. The person with late-stage beriberi may be confused or have memory loss and delusions. Neurological examination may show a loss of vibratory sensation (the person is less able to sense vibration), decreased reflexes, loss of coordination , gait changes ( ataxia ), nystagmus, drooping of the eyelids (ptosis), and inability to move the eye outwards (opthalmoplegia). Tests include:

Treatment

Administration of thiamine can reverse the deficiency, and symptoms should improve rapidly. However, with severe deficiency, some symptoms may be irreversible. Patients should also receive therapeutic doses of other water-soluble vitamins.

Expectations (prognosis)

Cardiac damage is usually reversible and is not permanent. Full recovery is expected after treatment. Untreated, beriberi is often fatal. If acute heart failure has already occurred, the outlook is poor. Nervous system damage is also reversible, if caught early. If not, some symptoms (such as memory loss) may not be completely recovered with treatment.

Complications

Calling your health care provider

Beriberi is extremely rare in the United States. However, if you feel your family's diet is inadequate or poorly balanced and you or your children have any of the described symptoms, call your health care provider.

Prevention

Adequate intake of thiamine will prevent beriberi. Nursing mothers should insure that their diet is adequate in all vitamins and be sure that infant formulas contain thiamine. People who drink heavily should try to cut down or quit and supplement their diets with B-vitamins to ensure appropriate intake of thiamine.