TY - CONF
TI - Does heterozygous beta-thalassemia confer a protection against coronary
artery disease?
AU - Tassiopoulos, S
AU - Defrereos, S
AU - Konstantopoulos, K
AU - Farmakis, D
AU - and Tsironi, M
AU - Kyriakidis, M
AU - Aessopos, A
PY - 2005
SP - 467-470
PB - THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
T2 - COOLEY'S ANEMIA EIGHTH SYMPOSIUM
TODO - 10.1196/annals.1345.068
TODO - beta-thalassemia; coronary artery disease; cardioprotection
TODO - 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.
ER -