Elsevier

American Heart Journal

Volume 96, Issue 5, November 1978, Pages 636-645
American Heart Journal

Experimental and laboratory report
Left ventricular function in β-thalassemia and the effect of multiple transfusions

https://doi.org/10.1016/0002-8703(78)90201-6Get rights and content

Abstract

Left ventricular performance was studied in 23 young patients with severe chronic anemia due to β-thalassemia major and intermedia. The patients were divided into three groups according to the number of blood transfusions they had received. The left ventricle (LV) was enlarged in patients who had not received blood and larger still in patients who had received multiple transfusions. Echocardiography and systolic time interval measurements showed that systolic function of the LV was good in all the patients and that there was no statistical difference in systolic function in patients who had and those who had not received multiple transfusions. Heart rate was increased in the latter group. Stroke index and cardiac index were high, especially in patients in Group 3. The diastolic closure rate (EF slope) of the anterior mitral leaflet and its amplitude of movement were increased, but less so in Group 3; this may reflect an alteration in diastolic LV distensibility. The results indicate that despite the presence of cardiomegaly and severe clinical congestive heart failure, LV performance is well preserved in patients with β-thalassemia, even in those who have received repeated blood transfusions. Clinical cardiac failure is the consequence of volume overload and abnormal chamber compliance. There was no evidence in this study of a congestive cardiomoypathy.

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