Diagnostics (Dec 2023)

Low Vitamin D Levels Are Associated with Increased Cardiac Iron Uptake in Beta-Thalassemia Major

  • Antonella Meloni,
  • Laura Pistoia,
  • Cristina Vassalle,
  • Anna Spasiano,
  • Ilaria Fotzi,
  • Sergio Bagnato,
  • Maria Caterina Putti,
  • Antonella Cossu,
  • Francesco Massei,
  • Piera Giovangrossi,
  • Silvia Maffei,
  • Vincenzo Positano,
  • Filippo Cademartiri

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13243656
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 24
p. 3656

Abstract

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We evaluated the association of vitamin D and parathormone (PTH) levels with cardiac iron and function in beta-thalassemia major (β-TM) patients. Two-hundred and seventy-eight TM patients (39.04 ± 8.58 years, 56.8% females) underwent magnetic resonance imaging for the assessment of iron overload (T2* technique), biventricular function parameters (cine images), and replacement myocardial fibrosis (late gadolinium enhancement technique). Vitamin D levels were deficient (p < 0.0001). In TM, the periodic and regular assessment of vitamin D levels can be beneficial for the prevention of cardiac iron accumulation and subsequent overt dysfunction.

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