Hypogonadism Among Patients with Transfusion-dependent Thalassemia: a Cross-sectional Study

Overview

Journal Ann Med Surg (Lond)

Publisher Wolters Kluwer

Specialty Medical Education

Date 2023 Jul 10

PMID 37427192

Authors

Taha O Mahwi

Zagros G Rashid

Shaho F Ahmed

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Patients And Methods: The authors conducted this cross-sectional study in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, from 1 July 2022, to 1 December 2022. Eighty patients with β-thalassemia major who were referred to the endocrinology clinic were enrolled. The patients were evaluated sequentially, starting with a history, followed by a clinical examination and laboratory tests related to endocrine disease. Those who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study, while the others were excluded.

Results: Out of 80 patients with major thalassemia who were referred to the endocrinology clinic, 53 (66.3%) were female, and 27 (33.7%) were male, with a mean (SD) age of 24.86±7.66 (14-59) years. Fifty-five (68.75%) of them had hypogonadism, three patients (3.8%) had hypothyroidism, while two (2.5%) had hypoparathyroidism. Five patients (6.3%) had diabetes. None of the patients had adrenal insufficiency. The mean ferritin level in thalassemic patients with hypogonadism and thalassemic patients without hypogonadism was 2326±2625 ng/ml vs. 1220±2625 ng/ml.

Conclusion: To minimize the risk of endocrinopathy in patients with thalassemia major, they should receive blood transfusions regularly and initiate chelating agents early, because the leading cause of endocrinopathy in thalassemic patients is related to the severity of anemia and iron overload.

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