Exploring the relationship between thalassemia and bone health: A clinicopathological analysis

Abstract

Objectives: To study the bone mineral density in patients with thalassemia. Thalassemia is a genetic disorder characterized by reduced synthesis of the globin chain, leading to decreased hemoglobin levels. Blood transfusion therapy is the primary treatment, but it can cause iron overload and other factors that increase the risk of low bone mineral density. Despite this, there is limited research on thalassemia patients in India, particularly in the North Eastern region, with a focus on bone mineral density. Material and Methods: We conducted a hospital-based case-control study in the Department of Medicine at Assam Medical College and Hospital, Dibrugarh, from June 1, 2020, to May 31, 2021. We have collected data from 51 cases and 51 healthy controls and analyzed it (SPSS for Windows, version 21.0 Chicago, SPSS Inc.) and Microsoft Excel 2010. Bone mineral density was measured by Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) (Lunar Prodigy Advance DEXA (GE Healthcare, Madison, WI, USA). Results: Our study also showed that thalassemia patients had a 3.775 times higher risk of low bone mineral density at the lumbar vertebra and a 4.0421 times higher risk at the femur neck than the normal healthy population. The mean BMD at the lumbar spine and femur neck were lower for cases than controls, with the difference at the femoral neck being statistically significant. Conclusion: Our study highlights that more than half of thalassemia patients have low bone mineral density, with the femoral neck and lumbar neck being more affected than normal age and sex-matched controls. These findings underscore the importance of monitoring bone health in thalassemia patients and implementing appropriate interventions to prevent or manage low bone mineral density.