Back to Search
Start Over
Iron burden and endocrine complications in transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients In Sarawak, Malaysia: a retrospective study.
- Source :
-
The Medical journal of Malaysia [Med J Malaysia] 2024 May; Vol. 79 (3), pp. 281-287. - Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- Introduction: Thalassaemia is one of the major health problems in Malaysia. With safe blood transfusion regime, the lifespan of patients with transfusion-dependent thalassaemia (TDT) has improved but at the cost of a higher risk of developing endocrine disorders. It is crucial for us to monitor the iron overload to prevent end organ damage. This study aims to evaluate the iron burden and prevalence of endocrinopathies in patients with TDT in Sarawak.<br />Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted between January 2020 to June 2020 in six government hospitals in Sarawak. A total of 89 patients with TDT, aged 10 years and above, were recruited.<br />Results: Out of the 89 patients, there were 54 males (60.7%) and 35 females (39.3%) with a median age of 21 years (range 10.0-65.0). Sixty-seven (75.3%) patients had betathalassaemia major and 15 (16.9%) patients had haemoglobin E beta-thalassaemia (HbE beta-thalassaemia), remaining seven patients had other genotypes. Thirty-one (34.8%) patients had mean serum ferritin 2500ng/ml and above, and 44 (66.6%) had liver iron concentration (LIC) ≥7mg/g. The prevalence of endocrine disorders in our cohort was 69.7%. The most common endocrinopathies were short stature (n=46, 51.7%), followed by hypogonadism (n=24, 26.9%), delayed puberty (n=23, 25.8%), hypothyroidism (n=10, 11.2%), diabetes mellitus (n=9, 10.1%), impaired glucose tolerance (n=6, 6.7%) and hypoparathyroidism (n=3, 3.3%). Endocrinopathies were significantly associated with age (p=0.01), age at initiating regular blood transfusion (p<0.01) and duration of regular blood transfusion (p<0.01).<br />Conclusion: Our data shows that the development of endocrinopathies in TDT can be time dependent. Early detection of endocrine-related complications and prompt treatment with iron chelation therapy are important to improve morbidity and mortality. A multidisciplinary approach with good patient-doctor collaboration is the key to improving patient care in our settings.
- Subjects :
- Humans
Male
Retrospective Studies
Female
Malaysia epidemiology
Adult
Child
Adolescent
Young Adult
Middle Aged
Prevalence
Aged
Iron metabolism
Endocrine System Diseases epidemiology
Endocrine System Diseases etiology
Thalassemia therapy
Thalassemia complications
Thalassemia epidemiology
Blood Transfusion statistics & numerical data
Iron Overload etiology
Iron Overload epidemiology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0300-5283
- Volume :
- 79
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- The Medical journal of Malaysia
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 38817060