Articles Vol. 67 No. CĐ7-Trường ĐH Y Dược Hải Phòng 06/07/2026

CLINICAL AND SUBCLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH LOW BONE MINERAL DENSITY IN TRANSFUSION-DEPENDENT THALASSEMIA PATIENTS AT VIET TIEP FRIENDSHIP HOSPITAL

Do Thi Thanh Loan1,2, Nguyen Ngoc Anh1,2, Trinh Hong Nhung1,2
1 Haiphong University of Medicine and Pharmacy
2 Trường Đại học Y Dược Hải Phòng
DOI: 10.52163/yhc.v67iCD7.5569
24 Views
0 Downloads
Keywords
Transfusion-dependent thalassemia, bone mineral density, ferritin, hemoglobin.
Abstract

Objective: To describe the clinical and subclinical characteristics and to identify factors associated with low bone mineral density (BMD) in transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) patients at the department of Clinical Hematology, Viet Tiep Friendship hospital.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted. Clinical data, laboratory tests, and BMD measured by DEXA were collected for all patients. Low BMD was defined as a Z-score < -2.0, and its association with patient characteristics was analyzed.

Results: The prevalence of low BMD was 45.1%, with a median Z-score of -2.2 (-4.5 – 1.1). Mean hemoglobin was 76.3 ± 9.7 g/L, with most patients having moderate to severe anemia (92.2%). Median ferritin was 2322.9 (438.5–7545.0) ng/mL, with 82.3% of patients having ferritin > 1000 ng/mL. Factors significantly associated with low BMD included disease severity (p < 0.05), poor adherence to iron chelation therapy (92.9% vs. 69.6%; p < 0.05), lower hemoglobin (72.3 ± 9.9 vs. 80.9 ± 7.6 g/L), higher serum iron (34.5 vs. 26.3 µmol/L), and higher ferritin (2775.0 vs. 1394.0 ng/mL).

Conclusion: Low BMD is a common complication in TDT patients, associated with disease severity, chronic anemia, iron overload, and poor adherence to iron chelation therapy.

References
[1]
Thalassaemia International Federation (2021). Guidelines for the management of transfusion dependent thalassaemia (TDT). 4th ed. Nicosia: Thalassaemia International Federation. Google Scholar
[2]
Cappellini MD, Farmakis D, Porter J, Taher A, Aydinok Y, et al. (2021). Guidelines for the management of transfusion dependent thalassaemia (TDT). 4th ed.3. Google Scholar
[3]
Taher AT, Musallam KM, Cappellini MD (2021). Thalassemia. The Lancet, 397(10291), 373–383. Google Scholar
[4]
De Sanctis V, Soliman AT, Elsedfy H, et al. (2016). Osteoporosis in thalassemia major: an update. Clinical Cases in Mineral and Bone Metabolism, 13(3), 187–192. Google Scholar
[5]
Voskaridou E, Terpos E (2004). New insights into the pathophysiology and management of osteoporosis in patients with thalassemia. British Journal of Haematology, 127(2), 127–139. Google Scholar
[6]
Bộ Y tế (2022). Hướng dẫn chẩn đoán và điều trị bệnh Thalassemia. Hà Nội: Nhà xuất bản Y học. Google Scholar
[7]
International Society for Clinical Densitometry (2019). Official Positions of the International Society for Clinical Densitometry. Google Scholar