Quality of Life and Related Paraclinical Factors in Iranian Patients with Transfusion-Dependent Thalassemia

Abstract

Background: Thalassemia is one of the most common genetic hematologic disorders in the world. Despite outstanding achievements in prenatal diagnosis and a decrease in the number of patients, thalassemia is still a significant issue in most parts of the world, especially in the Mediterranean countries. Understanding the factors associated with this condition is crucial to help clinicians and policymakers provides social and medical support for patients to facilitate their lives. This study aims to appraise the quality of life (QoL) and its related paraclinical factors in Iranian transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients.

Methods and materials: This study is a cross-sectional study performed in the thalassemia clinic of Imam-Ali Hospital, Karaj, Iran. The demographic, clinical, and laboratory data of 100 patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia were recorded. The patients' QoL was measured by the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instruments Brief (WHOQOL-BREF) version questionnaire. The results were analyzed using SPSS software.

Results: This study demonstrated that all four features of life are influenced in transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients. Also, higher educational status and lower serum ferritin levels were associated with better scores in assessing the QoL. On the other hand, an elevated level of AST (aspartate transaminase), ALT (alanine transaminase), and FBS (fasting blood sugar) are associated with lower scores.

Conclusion: All features of QoL are correlated to the patients' laboratory findings. Our data suggest that managing patients' laboratory indices is attributed to their higher QoL. We also suggest regular screening of patients' QoL to manage disease complications more efficiently.