Beriberi disease

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS) is a brain disorder caused by a lack of vitamin B-1 (thiamine). The syndrome is actually two conditions that occur together: Wernicke’s disease (WD) and Korsakoff syndrome. Usually, people get the symptoms of WD first. WD is also known as Wernicke’s encephalopathy. The symptoms of WKS may include confusion, changes to the eyes and vision, or exaggerated storytelling. Lesions on the brain cause WD. These lesions are the result of a Prominent symptoms of WD are: • • • • • WD can later develop into Korsakoff’s syndrome. People who have WKS have a variety of issues relating to You may also have the following symptoms if you have WKS: • • difficulty understanding the meaning of information • difficulty putting words into context • • exaggerated storytelling, or Diagnosing WKS isn’t always easy. An individual with WKS is often mentally confused. This can make communication with the doctor difficult. Your doctor may overlook the possibility of a physical disorder if you’re confused. Signs of alcoholism Your doctor may first check for Liver damage caused by chronic alcoholism can elevate your • • eye movements • reflexes • • Signs of nutritional deficiency Your doctor will look for clinical signs that point to a vitamin B-1 deficiency. This can involve blood tests that measure thiamine levels and your general nutritional health. Nutritional tests your doctor may order to make sure you aren’t malnourished include: • Serum albumin test. • Serum vita...

beriberi, nutritional disorder caused by a deficiency of 1) and characterized by impairment of the nerves and beriberi is derived from the Sinhalese word meaning “extreme weakness.”) In the form known as The cardiac symptoms, in both infants and adults, generally respond promptly and dramatically to the administration of thiamin. When neurological involvement is present, the response to thiamin is much more gradual; in severe cases, the structural lesions of the

A mysterious illness killed princesses and sailors alike. In 1877, Japan’s Meiji Emperor watched his aunt, the princess Kazu, die of a common malady: kakke. If her condition was typical, her legs would have swollen, and her speech slowed. Numbness and paralysis might have come next, along with twitching and vomiting. Death often resulted from heart failure. The emperor had suffered from this same ailment, on-and-off, his whole life. In response, he poured money into research on the illness. It was a matter of survival: for the emperor, his family, and Japan’s ruling class. While most diseases ravage the poor and vulnerable, kakke afflicted the wealthy and powerful, especially city dwellers. This curious fact gave kakke its other name: Edo wazurai, the affliction of Edo (Edo being the old name for Tokyo). But for centuries, the culprit of kakke went unnoticed: fine, polished, white rice. The Meiji emperor and his family. Gleaming white rice was a status symbol—it was expensive and laborious to husk, hull, polish, and wash. In Japan, the poor ate brown rice, or other carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes or barley. The rich ate polished white rice, often to the exclusion of other foods. This was a problem. Removing the outer layers of a grain of rice also removes one vital nutrient: thiamine, or vitamin B-1. Without thiamine, animals and humans develop kakke , now known in English as beriberi. But for too long, the cause of the condition remained unknown. In his book Beriberi...

• Wet: Fast heart rate, shortness of breath, leg swelling • Dry: Numbness, confusion, trouble moving the legs, pain Types Wet, dry, gastrointestinal Causes Not enough Diet of mostly Prevention Treatment Frequency Uncommon (USA) Thiamine deficiency is a medical condition of low levels of (Vitamin B 1). beriberi. Risk factors include a diet of mostly Treatment is by thiamine supplementation, either by mouth or by injection. Thiamine deficiency is rare in the United States. Signs and symptoms [ ] Symptoms of beriberi include weight loss, Symptoms may occur concurrently with those of Beriberi is divided into four categories. The first three are historical and the fourth, gastrointestinal beriberi, was recognized in 2004: • Dry beriberi especially affects the peripheral nervous system. • Wet beriberi especially affects the cardiovascular system and other bodily systems. • Infantile beriberi affects the babies of malnourished mothers. • Gastrointestinal beriberi affects the digestive system and other bodily systems. Dry beriberi [ ] Dry beriberi causes wasting and partial • Difficulty with walking • Tingling or loss of sensation ( • Loss of tendon reflexes • Loss of muscle function or paralysis of the lower legs • Mental confusion/speech difficulties • Pain • Involuntary eye movements ( • Vomiting A selective impairment of the large proprioceptive sensory fibers without motor impairment can occur and present as a prominent sensory Brain disease [ ] Wernicke's encephalopathy is t...

Also known as vitamin B1, thiamine plays a key role in converting carbohydrates into energy. It’s also involved in the process of muscle contraction, as well as the transmission of nerve signals and the production of acids essential for proper digestion. While it’s mostly concentrated in your skeletal muscles, thiamine is also found in your brain, heart, liver, and kidneys. Types There are two types of beriberi: wet beriberi (which affects the cardiovascular system) and dry beriberi (which affects the nervous system). If it goes unchecked, wet beriberi may cause injury to the heart’s muscle tissue. It’s also associated with congestive heart failure, in which the heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. Verywell / Anastasia Tretiak Vitamin B Supplementation If you’re a heavy drinker, taking vitamin B supplements isn’t recommended as a prevention strategy for beriberi. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 404, heavy alcohol use is defined as binge drinking (i.e., consuming about four drinks for women and five drinks for men) on five or more days in the past month.

• Overview   • • Theory   • Epidemiology • Aetiology • Case history • Diagnosis   • Approach • History and exam • Investigations • Differentials • Management   • Approach • Treatment algorithm • Prevention • Patient discussions • Follow up   • Monitoring • Complications • Prognosis • Resources   • Guidelines • Vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency is the underlying cause of several clinical syndromes, including Wernicke's encephalopathy, wet beriberi, and dry beriberi, rather than a single clinical condition or diagnosis. Clinical presentation depends on the chronicity of the deficiency. As signs and symptoms are non-specific, the presence of risk factors raises suspicion of the diagnosis. Risk factors include alcohol dependence, malabsorption, and a diet low in thiamine (e.g., based on polished rice). As there is no rapid diagnostic test for the condition, presumptive treatment should be commenced immediately if vitamin B1 deficiency is suspected. Untreated vitamin B1 deficiency in the form of Wernicke's encephalopathy can result in the need for institutional care, or in death. Definition Vitamin B1, also known as thiamine, is an essential micronutrient. Whitfield KC, Bourassa MW, Adamolekun B, et al. Thiamine deficiency disorders: diagnosis, prevalence, and a roadmap for global control programs. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2018 Oct;1430(1):3-43. https://www.doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13919 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30151974?tool=bestpractice.com Deficiency can result in ...