The relation between serum ferritin level and echocardiographic findings in transfusion dependent thalassemic patients in Slemani City, Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Background and objectives: Thalassemia patients are at risk of iron overload. Those with transfusion-dependent thalassemia are more likely to experience cardiac problems because repeated blood transfusions cause iron accumulation in the cardiac myocyte. Thus, this study aims to determine the relationship between serum ferritin levels and echocardiographic findings in transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients. Methods: This retrospective analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 131 patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia between 1stDecember 2021 to 1stJuly 2022 at the Center for Thalassemia and Congenital Blood Disorder, Slemani, Iraq. The participant’s information, including sociodemographic characteristics such as age, gender, body weight, height, hemoglobin level, serum ferritin, type and duration of chelation therapy, and echocardiographic findings, were collected from the hospital database using a questionnaire. Then, the correlation between serum ferritin levels and echocardiographic results was determined. Results: The mean age of the patients was 21.24 ± 6.28 years, and most of them were males (55.7%), from the urban region (71%) and had an average body weight (68.7%). The mean serum ferritin level was 1876±1743.63 µg/L. The interpretation of the echocardiography results showed 38 patients (29%) had valvular heart diseases. Body mass index has a reverse linear relationship with ejection fraction(P=0.038) and a direct relationship with age(P<0.001). However, no significant association was found between echocardiographic findings and serum ferritin(P=0.83). Conclusions: We found valvular heart diseases among the most common heart disorders in the patients. Suitable interventions and measures can significantly help manage the condition and reduce illness complications.