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Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.

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Beriberi epidemiology and demographics

Introduction

Overview

Overview

No clear data are available on the incidence and prevalence of beriberi; however, it is generally more common in countries with excess white rice consumption and unbalanced food supply.

Epidemiology and Demographics

Epidemiology and Demographics

Incidence

  • No clear data are available on the incidence rate of beriberi.

Prevalence

  • Due to the absence of clear data on beriberi prevalence in children, the World Health Organization suggested that infant mortality curves can reflect thiamine deficiency in infants.[1]
  • The main reason an exact prevalence rate cannot be identified is that different studies used different blood thiamine concentration cutoffs.[2]

Age

  • The infantile form of beriberi occurs in infants under one year of age: Cardiac form (1 to 3 months), aphonic (4 to 6 months), and pseudomeningitic (7 to 9 months).

    Race

    • There is no racial predilection to beriberi.

    Gender

    • Beriberi affects men and women equally. However, pregnant women may be at risk.

    Region

    • The majority of beriberi cases are reported in geographical regions with inadequate dietary intake (developing countries). In developed countries, it may occur in individuals with chronic illness or alcoholism.[3]
    References

    References

    1. ↑ Luxemburger C, White NJ, ter Kuile F, Singh HM, Allier-Frachon I, Ohn M; et al. (2003). “Beri-beri: the major cause of infant mortality in Karen refugees”. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 97 (2): 251–5. doi:10.1016/s0035-9203(03)90134-9. PMID 14584386.
    2. ↑ Whitfield KC, Smith G, Chamnan C, Karakochuk CD, Sophonneary P, Kuong K; et al. (2017). “High prevalence of thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency in early childhood among a nationally representative sample of Cambodian women of childbearing age and their children”. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 11 (9): e0005814. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0005814. PMC 5600402. PMID 28873391.
    3. ↑ Whitfield KC, Bourassa MW, Adamolekun B, Bergeron G, Bettendorff L, Brown KH; et al. (2018). “Thiamine deficiency disorders: diagnosis, prevalence, and a roadmap for global control programs”. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1430 (1): 3–43. doi:10.1111/nyas.13919. PMC 6392124. PMID 30151974.


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    Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: ; Abdelrahman Ibrahim Abushouk, MD[2]