Correspondence
Is There a Role for Thiamine in the Management of Congestive Heart Failure?
Abstract
To the Editor:
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is an important public health concern. It afflicts an estimated 4 million Americans and is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Deficiency of thiamine intake can lead to impaired cardiac performance in the form of beriberi heart disease. Loop diuretics, such as furosemide (Lasix), have been shown to cause thiamine deficiency in experimental animals and patients with CHF. We report the case of a patient with severe CHF whose ejection fraction as well as New York Heart Association (NYHA) grade of dyspnea improved after thiamine supplementation.
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