Cardiac and pulmonary dysfunction in asymptomatic beta-thalassanemia major.

This study assessed cardiac and pulmonary dysfunction in 26 asymptomatic patients with beta-thalassemia major. This investigation was a case-controlled study considering 10-20-year-old patients with beta-thalassemia major and no cardiac or pulmonary symptoms. Healthy individuals matched for age and sex were used as controls. At 48-72 h after blood transfusion, the patients underwent echocardiography and spirometry by a cardiologist and a pulmonologist. The results were compared to those of the control group. The right and left myocardial performance index, preejection period/ejection time ratio, ejection fraction, acceleration time, isovolumic contraction time, and bilateral isovolumic relaxation times in the study group demonstrated significant differences from the data of the controls. Right deceleration time was significantly different between the 2 groups. Myocardial performance index, peak early velocity of the right heart, and peak atrial velocity-to-peak early velocity ratio of the right side by Doppler tissue imaging were also significantly different between the 2 groups. Spirometry showed a significant difference in forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity between groups. Based on spirometry, pulmonary involvement in the patients was 77% restrictive. These findings show that systolic and diastolic dysfunction of the heart and pulmonary disturbances are unavoidable in patients with beta-thalassemia major.