A Systematic Review of Thiamine Supplementation in Improving Diabetes and Its Related Cardiovascular Dysfunction

The significance of thiamine in human health is linked to its role in several pathways that control different disease processes. Significant improvements in cardiometabolic diseases, substantially impacted by thiamine imbalances, are observed with thiamine supplementation. Diabetic patients could see a reduction in cardiovascular (CV) risk due to thiamine’s significant impact on glucose metabolism. Specifically, increased ventricular filling pressures and oxygen consumption, indicative of CV dysfunction, are caused by oxidative and inflammatory damage to blood vessels, diabetic nephropathy, and elevated lactic acid production. Despite promising pre-clinical results for thiamine, clinical trials have yielded conflicting and contradictory findings due to limitations like small sample sizes and insufficient follow-up. To provide a summary of clinical study results, this systematic review assessed the impact of thiamine supplementation on diabetes and its CV complications. The studies included in this systematic review were retrieved from PubMed and Medline databases, in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and following the Population Intervention Comparison Outcome (PICO) framework. Seven clinical studies were identified, which enlighten the association between thiamine supplementation, hyperglycemia, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although large-scale, multicenter studies with longer follow-up periods are needed, the association between thiamine and chronic metabolic dysfunction related to CV risk suggests its crucial role in preventing severe heart failure (HF).