Bone Mineral Density (BMD) and Chemical Biomarkers Among Patients with Thalassemia Major and Intermedia in Iran

Abstract

Background: Thalassemia is a common genetic disease in Iran and is most prevalent in northern and southern parts of the country. Methods: Due to vulnerable metabolic organs of thalassemia patients, the present study was conducted to examine the relationship between Bone Mineral Density (BMD) and thyroid hormones along with some other variables. Results: A total of 5491 (2647 males and 2634 females) cases were studied in Tehran (the capital of Iran), Sari (in northern Iran), Bandar Abbas, Iranshahr, and Zahedan (in southern Iran). The mean age ± standard deviation of the patients was 24.22 ± 12.7 years (24.4 ± 0.23 in both male and female patients). Conclusions: Based on the results, 30.6% of the patients had lumbar osteoporosis, 39.0% had lumbar osteopenia, 8.6% had femoral neck osteoporosis, and 40.4% had femoral neck osteopenia. Although thyroid hormones did not correlate with osteoporosis, greater changes were observed in these hormones in patients with thalassemia major than in other patients.