Subclinical autonomic dysfunction in patients with beta-thalassemia

• Published in: Clinical autonomic research Vol. 22; no. 3; pp. 147 - 150
• Main Authors: Stamboulis, Elefterios, Vlachou, Nikoleta, Voumvourakis, Konstantinos, Andrikopoulou, Athina, Arvaniti, Chrisa, Tsivgoulis, Athanasios, Athanasiadis, Dimitrios, Tsiodras, Sotirios, Tentolouris, Nikolaos, Triantafyllidi, Heleni, Drossou-Servou, Marouso, Loutradi-Anagnostou, Aphrodite, Tsivgoulis, Georgios
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01-06-2012; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases - diagnosis; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases - epidemiology; Autonomic Nervous System Diseases - physiopathology; beta-Thalassemia - epidemiology; beta-Thalassemia - physiopathology; Cardiology; Cohort Studies; Comorbidity - trends; Diabetes; Disability Evaluation; Endocrinology; Female; Gastroenterology; Hand Strength - physiology; Humans; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neurologic Examination - methods; Neurology; Ophthalmology; Prevalence; Research Letter; Tilt-Table Test - methods; Young Adult; Autonomic dysfunction; Beta-thalassemia; Neuropathy; Cardiovascular reflexes
• ISSN: 0959-9851; 1619-1560
• DOI: 10.1007/s10286-011-0154-2

We electrophysiologically evaluated the autonomic function (AF) in a consecutive series of patients with beta-thalassemia and in normal individuals. Six quantitative autonomic function tests (AFTs) were used: tilt test, hand grip test and sympathetic skin response for sympathetic function; R–R interval, inspiration–expiration difference and 30/15 ratio for parasympathetic function. The prevalence of impaired AF was higher in beta-thalassemia patients (13%,
n
 = 5) than in control subjects (0%,
n
 = 0;
p
 = 0.026). Subclinical autonomic dysfunction appeared to be more prevalent in beta-thalassemia patients compared to controls in our series. Further independent validation of this finding is required in larger cohorts of beta-thalassemia patients.