@inproceedings{3092824,
    title = "Does heterozygous beta-thalassemia confer a protection against coronary
artery disease?",
    author = "Tassiopoulos, S and Defrereos, S and Konstantopoulos, K and Farmakis, D and and Tsironi, M and Kyriakidis, M and Aessopos, A",
    year = "2005",
    pages = "467-470",
    publisher = "THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES",
    booktitle = "COOLEY'S ANEMIA EIGHTH SYMPOSIUM",
    doi = "10.1196/annals.1345.068",
    keywords = "beta-thalassemia; coronary artery disease; cardioprotection",
    abstract = "Six hundred and thirty-eight patients who presented with clinical
symptoms and/or electrocardiographic findings suggestive of stable
angina pectoris were studied; they were also investigated by coronary
arteriography. Hemoglobin electrophoresis was performed on all patients
to detect the presence of the beta-thalassemia trait. Results were
analyzed by logistic regression analysis to determine whether the latter
confers any protective effect against advanced coronary artery disease
(aCAD; defined as the presence of atheromas in coronary arteries,
resulting in stenosis at least 70%). WeThe role of the currently
accepted risk factors (smoking, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and
diabetes) in developing aCAD were reconfirmed, while at the same time it
was found that beta-thalassemia heterozygosity is associated with a
reduced risk against aCAD (odds ratio 0.39, 95% confidence interval
0.16-0.98). The lipoprotein and blood rheology profile of these
individuals may be the underlying causes of this protective effect."
}