Epidemiology

In the developed world vitamin B1 deficiency presenting as Wernicke encephalopathy occurs mainly in those who chronically abuse alcohol, particularly in the context of poor nutritional intake.[2] Autopsy studies estimate the prevalence of Wernicke's encephalopathy to be 0.1% to 1.0% in the US, with similar rates in Europe.[3] Vitamin B1 deficiency in infants and children is extremely rare in the developed world as there is access to thiamine‐rich food and adequate intake.[1] Vitamin B1 deficiency is more prevalent in low- and middle-income countries where diets are low in thiamine, e.g., countries in Asia where there is a high consumption of thiamine-depleted polished rice, African nations where cassava root is a primary source of energy, and some areas of the Americas, and also in regions where conditions lead to food insecurity (e.g., drought, famine, conflict, displacement), especially in individuals with an increased metabolic need (e.g., pregnancy, infancy, critical illness).[1][4] Lack of standardisation in data from different laboratories and assay methods and lack of consensus on clinical case definitions complicates assessment of the global prevalence of thiamine deficiency disorders.[1][4]

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