6. Nutritional Deficiencies: The Heart’s Cry for Nourishment
Shifting gears, we now delve into a cause of cardiomyopathy that is often overlooked: nutritional deficiencies. Certain deficiencies, particularly those involving vitamins and minerals that play critical roles in heart health, can lead to a specific form of cardiomyopathy known as nutritional deficiency cardiomyopathy.
One key player in this context is thiamine, also known as vitamin B1. Thiamine is essential for energy production in the body’s cells, including the heart muscle cells. A deficiency in thiamine can lead to beriberi, a condition that can cause a specific type of cardiomyopathy known as wet beriberi. In this condition, the heart becomes enlarged, and the body retains excess fluid.
Selenium deficiency, though rare, can also lead to cardiomyopathy, specifically a type called Keshan disease. This condition, named after the province in China where it was first identified, causes the heart to enlarge and its function to deteriorate. It’s worth noting that Keshan disease is extremely rare and typically only occurs in regions with severely selenium-deficient soil.(6)
