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. 2018:40:e2018048.
doi: 10.4178/epih.e2018048. Epub 2018 Oct 3.

The survival rate of patients with beta-thalassemia major and intermedia and its trends in recent years in Iran

Alireza Ansari-Moghaddam  1 , Hossein Ali Adineh  2 , Iraj Zareban  3 , Mehdi Mohammadi  1 , Mahtab Maghsoodlu  4
Affiliations

The survival rate of patients with beta-thalassemia major and intermedia and its trends in recent years in Iran

Alireza Ansari-Moghaddam et al. Epidemiol Health. 2018.

Abstract

Objectives: Thalassemia is a common genetic disease in Iran, especially in the north and south of Iran. The present study sought to determine the survival rate of patients with thalassemia in highly endemic regions of Iran and its variation in patients born before and after 1971.

Methods: The present historical cohort study extracted data from the health records of patients with beta-thalassemia major, beta-thalassemia intermedia, and sickle beta-thalassemia who had presented to thalassemia treatment centers in the past years. The collected data were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier test, the log-rank test, and the chi-square test.

Results: Of the total of 5,491 medical records (2,647 men and 2,634 women; mean age, 23.81±11.32 years), 3,936 belonged to patients with beta-thalassemia major, and 999 and 89 to patients with beta-thalassemia intermedia and sickle beta-thalassemia, respectively. In 467 cases, the type of thalassemia was not clear. The cumulative survival rate was calculated as 0.92, 0.83, 0.74, and 0.51 by ages 25, 35, 45, and 55, respectively. The hazard ratio of death was 4.22 (p<0.05) for beta-thalassemia major and 0.77 for beta-thalassemia intermedia (p=0.70). It was calculated as 1.45 for men patients and as 3.82 for single patients.

Conclusions: The present study showed relatively high survival rates in patients with thalassemia. The survival of patients was unfavorable in poorer regions (Zahedan and Iranshahr). Factors including women gender, a higher level of education, being married, and living in metropolises decreased the risk of death at younger ages and improved survival.

Keywords: Beta-thalassemia; Gender; Iran; Prevalence; Survival.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare for this study.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The selected provinces of Iran included in this study (name of provinces, sample size, and survival rate).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
The survival curve of patients born before and after 1971.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Kaplan-Meier survival estimates by (A) city and (B) different forms of thalassemia.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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