Vitamin D deficiency, cardiac iron and cardiac function in thalassaemia major

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Abstract
Summary: Vitamin D25‐OH and D1‐25OH levels were compared with cardiac R2* (1/T2*), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), age, ferritin and liver iron in 24 thalassaemia major patients. Vitamin D25‐OH levels were reduced in 13/24 patients while vitamin D1‐25OH levels were often elevated. Vitamin D25‐OH levels decreased with age (r2 = 0·48) and with liver iron (r2 = 0·20). Cardiac R2* was inversely related with the ratio of D25‐OH to D1‐25OH levels (r2 = 0·42). LVEF was also proportional to the D25‐OH/D1‐25OH ratio (r2 = 0·49). Vitamin D deficiency may be associated with cardiac iron uptake and ventricular dysfunction in thalassaemia major patients.