Open AccessThiamine Supplementation for the Treatment of Heart Failure: A Review of the Literature
Author(s) -
DiNicolantonio James J.,
Niazi Asfandyar K.,
Lavie Carl J.,
O'Keefe James H.,
Ventura Hector O.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
congestive heart failure
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1751-7133
pISSN - 1527-5299
DOI - 10.1111/chf.12037
Subject(s) - thiamine , medicine , heart failure , ejection fraction , thiamine deficiency , clinical trial , cardiomyopathy , randomized controlled trial , cardiology , vitamin , intensive care medicine
A systematic review of the literature was performed by searching Pubmed and EMBASE databases using the terms “thiamine,” “vitamin B1,” “heart failure,” “systolic dysfunction,” “ventricular dysfunction,” “cardiomyopathy,” “ventricular failure,” and “systolic failure.” Relevant trials and articles were evaluated pertaining to thiamine deficiency in patients with heart failure ( HF ) and references were searched for further inclusion of articles. A total of 20 articles were reviewed and summarized in detail. While more research is needed to fully elucidate the clinical thiamine deficiency in HF patients, recent evidence has indicated that supplementing with thiamine in HF patients has the potential to improve left ventricular ejection fraction. Thiamine deficiency appears to be not uncommon in patients with HF , and supplementation with thiamine has been shown to improve cardiac function, urine output, weight loss, and signs and symptoms of HF . Therefore, this simple therapy should be tested in large‐scale randomized clinical trial to further determine the effects of thiamine in HF patients.