Does korsakoff's syndrome result from heavy drinking with poor absorbtion of vitamin b1 or is that something else?

Yes AND: Alcoholism results in poor nutrition with poor absorption as well as increased utilization. All these factors can result in deficiency and all have been implicated in the development of korsakoff's syndrome. If you know someone with a drinking problem, encourage them to go to an open meeting of aa. They have the best long term results for sobriety and health.