Diabetes Damage Linked To Vitamin B1 Shortage

 
Source: Telegraph Media Group, August 8, 2007

Diabetics have three-quarters less vitamin B1 in their blood than healthy people, research has shown.

A study by the University of Warwick has linked this shortfall, which occurs in sufferers with both type one and two of the disease, to damage to the kidneys, retina and nerves in the arms and legs that are all common symptoms of the disease.

Prof Paul Thornalley, from the university, said that vitamin supplements could be taken by all diabetics and could work alongside conventional glucose controls.

The study is published in Diabetologia, the diabetics journal. A LACK of vitamin B1 has been linked to vascular disease in diabetics sufferers.

Researchers at the University of Warwick found that diabetics-both type one and type two sufferers-had three quarters less thiamine (vitamin B1) in their blood than healthy people.

In what could be a major finding for treatment of diabetes-related vascular conditions, the experts found the shortage was linked to damage to the kidneys, retina and nerves in the arms and legs-common in diabetics. Prof Paul Thornalley, lead researcher, said a vitamin B1 supplement could be taken by all diabetics and would work alongside conventional glucose controls.

He said: “This is a particularly important study because thiamine has been found to prevent vascular problems in previous research.” The study-published in diabetes journal Diabetologia-compared 26 type 1 and 48 type 2 with 20 healthy patients.

It found thiamine concentration in blood plasma was decreased 76 percent in type 1 sufferers and 75 percent in type 2 patients.