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Carbonated drinks, thiamine deficiency and right ventricular failure
D Bell1, C E Robertson, A L Muir
1Department of Medicine, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh.
Scottish Medical Journal
|October 1, 1987
Summary
Wet beriberi, a thiamine deficiency, can cause severe right-sided heart failure. This case shows improved cardiac function after thiamine replacement therapy.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Nutritional Science
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Wet beriberi, caused by thiamine deficiency, is rare in Western countries, often linked to alcoholism.
- Right-sided heart failure is an uncommon presentation of wet beriberi.
Observation:
- A 69-year-old male presented with symptoms of right ventricular failure.
- Cardiac imaging revealed a dilated, poorly functioning right ventricle.
Findings:
- Echocardiography and radionuclide ventriculography confirmed impaired right ventricular function.
- Symptoms and cardiac function significantly improved after thiamine replacement therapy.
Implications:
- This case highlights an unusual presentation of wet beriberi.
- It underscores the importance of considering nutritional deficiencies in cardiac failure.
- Prompt thiamine repletion can reverse cardiac dysfunction in beriberi.