REVIEW article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition and Metabolism
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1633864
This article is part of the Research TopicTherapeutic Potential of Food-Derived Bioactive Compounds and Endogenous Metabolites for Diabetes, Cardiovascular, and Cerebrovascular DiseasesView all 5 articles
An Easily Overlooked Cause of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension-Thiamine Deficiency
Provisionally accepted
- 1Fourth Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Yiwu, China
- 2the fifth hospital of Jinhua, Jinhua, China
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Thiamine deficiency (TD), also known as vitamin B1 deficiency, is an often overlooked potential cause of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). It may contribute to the pathological process of PAH through the deficiency of related coenzymes, thereby inhibiting the citric acid cycle. TD can manifest in various clinical forms, including dry beriberi and Shoshin beriberi, the latter characterized by high-output heart failure and lactic acidosis, which can lead to fatal outcomes if not promptly treated. This article reviews the physiological functions of thiamine, the pathophysiological mechanisms of TD, and its relationship with PAH. It explores the hemodynamic changes and diagnostic challenges of Shoshin beriberi and highlights the potential value of thiamine supplementation therapy. Although large-scale randomized controlled trials are currently lacking, minor studies and case reports suggest that thiamine supplementation may benefit PAH patients.Future high-quality research is needed to clarify the role of thiamine in the treatment of PAH.
Keywords: Thiamine, Beriberi, pulmonary arterial hypertension, Hemodynamics, Trace Elements
Received: 23 May 2025; Accepted: 17 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhao, Qiu, Li and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Fangfang Qiu, Fourth Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Yiwu, China
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