Title:Association between Serum Vitamin D Level and Echocardiographic Abnormalities in Patients with Thalassemia Major
Volume: 20
Issue: 3
Author(s): Mehdi Pishgahi, Mahtab Niroomand, Rama Bozorgmehr, Shirin Ghane-Fard, Farideh Mousavi*, Mohammadreza Tabary and Isa Khaheshi
Affiliation:
- Department of Pediatrics, Shohadaye Tajrish Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran,Iran
Keywords:
Echocardiography, thalassemia major, vitamin D deficiency, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, cardiovascular disease.
Abstract:
Objectives: Thalassemia major (TM) is one of the most common blood disorders with a
high mortality rate due to cardiovascular disease. Vitamin D deficiency has been suggested to
implicate in cardiac abnormalities. In this prospective study, we aimed to investigate the
relationship between serum levels of vitamin D and tissue Doppler (TD) echocardiographic indices
in thalassemia major patients.
Methods: A total of 81 TM patients, including 56 females and 25 males, with a mean age of 27.5±
6.8 years, were enrolled consecutively. Serum levels of vitamin D and other biomedical parameters
were measured. Then, all patients were subjected to TD echocardiography. Correlations between
the serum parameters and systolic and diastolic indices were examined.
Results: The serum level of vitamin D was correlated with systolic and diastolic indices such as the
EF (r= 0.33, P= 0.003) and TD Imaging (TDI)-lateral (r= 0.31, P= 0.005). However, no correlations
were observed between vitamin D deficiency and the LV septal and posterior wall thickness, TDIseptal,
tricuspid regurgitation peak gradient (TRPG), pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP),
deceleration time (DT), and propagation velocity (PVcm/s) indices. The results revealed also no
linear correlations between serum vitamin D and albumin (r= -0.17, P= 0.06), ALP (r= -0.12, P=
0.14), T4 (r= -0.11, P= 0.16), as well as TSH (r= -0.10, P= 0.19).
Conclusion: It seems that vitamin D deficiency in patients with TM is associated with systolic but
not diastolic dysfunctions, possibly as consequences of related biochemical abnormalities.
