The Association between Myocardial Iron Load and Ventricular Repolarization Parameters in Asymptomatic Beta-Thalassemia Patients

Abstract EN

Previous studies have demonstrated impaired ventricular repolarization in patients with β-TM.

However, the effect of iron overload with cardiac T2* magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on cardiac repolarization remains unclear yet.

We aimed to examine relationship between repolarization parameters and iron loading using cardiac T2* MRI in asymptomatic β-TM patients.

Twenty-two β-TM patients and 22 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were enrolled to the study.

From the 12-lead surface electrocardiography, regional and transmyocardial repolarization parameters were evaluated manually by two experienced cardiologists.

All patients were also undergone MRI for cardiac T2* evaluation.

Cardiac T2* score <20 msec was considered as iron overload status.

Of the QT parameters, QT duration, corrected QT interval, and QT peak duration were significantly longer in the β-TM group compared to the healthy controls.

Tp−Te and Tp−Te dispersions were also significantly prolonged in β-TM group compared to healthy controls.

(Tp-Te)/QT was similar between groups.

There was no correlation between repolarization parameters and cardiac T2* MRI values.

In conclusion, although repolarization parameters were prolonged in asymptomatic β-TM patients compared with control, we could not find any relation between ECG findings and cardiac iron load.