beriberi heart


ber·i·ber·i heart

heart disease due to thiamine deficiency that may be epidemic or sporadic as characterized by cardiac metabolic damage and myocardial failure, often of the "high output" type, with edema (except in "dry" shoshin beriberi) and polyneuritis. The term is derived from Singhalese, "I am unable."

beriberi heart

Heart failure caused by thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency (e.g., in patients with chronic alcoholism or malnutrition).See also: heart