Thiamine Deficiency in the Aged

We experienced 8 patients (5 males and 3 females;39～67 yrs,mean:57.9 yrs) with beriberi neuropathy, and 2 patients (a 77 year-old-female and a 64 year-old-male) with Wernicke encephalopathy for the past 4 years. All 8 beriberi patients showed disturbance of superficial and/or deep sensation. As the background of thiamine deficiency, 3 had alcoholism with malnutrition, 3 had diabetes mellitus(DM), and 4 had postgastrectomy. The effects of thiamine therapy were positive in 4 patients, but no marked improvement was recognized in the 3 patients with DM. Wernicke encephalopathy occurred in a female case with DM and postgastrectomy state, and in a male case with chronic alcoholism. Treatment with thiamine markedly improved their clinical manifestations in both patients. In the 1970s, a considerable number of patients with beriberi neuropathy were reported throughout Japan. Many patients were active young people such as sports men or women. Their poor nutritional condition included low intake of thiamine-rich foods and drinking too much sweet soft drinks might induce thiamine deficiency. In recent years, the patients were mainly among the aged population. The new problems of nutritional, medical and social backgrounds have to be studied. This paper reported that the postgastrectomy state was one of risk factors inducing thiamine deficiency