Beriberi heart in Iowa veterans.

Beriberi heart disease does not constitute a rigid syndrome because the severity of cardiac failure, associated leriplleral neuritis, other concomitant signs and syimptomiis, and response to treatment are variable. Five lpatiellts with peripheral neuritis, edema and evidence of cardiac failure are presented. All improved after treatment, and, in two instances, there was marked reduction in cardiac size. Beriberi was thought to be the most likely diagnosis in each case, since there was no evidence of other etiology. T IIIS communication deals with S cases of beriberi heart disease recognized at the 1)es Moines Veterans Hospital among 7,912 admissions between October, 1948 and January, 1950. None of these Iowa residents was a prisoner of the Japanese. Beriberi was considered a disease of the Orient until about 25 years ago. It has been regularly reported in the southern and eastern portion of the United States, but only once (to my knowledge)l in the "grain belt" regions.