Effect of iron overload on exercise capacity in thalassemic patients with heart failure

In b-thalassemia, myocardial iron overload contributes to heart failure, despite chelation treatment. We hypothesized that myocardial T2*, an index of iron overload, influences patients’ physical activity. We assessed a thalassemic population by both cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and ergospirometry test. Sixty-six thalassemic patients aged 27 (19–40) years, 30 without (NHF) and 36 with heart failure (HF), were studied. Cardiac T2* and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were evaluated using a 1.5 T system. VO_2max, AT, Mets and duration of exercise by ergospirometry were also assessed. Myocardial T2* was lower in HF compared to NHF patients (14.7 ± 6.6 vs. 39 ± 2 ms, P < 0.001). LVEDV and LVESV were higher in HF group compared to NHF patients (139.9 ± 16.3 vs. 124.6 ± 20.86 ml, P < 0.01 and 94.9 ± 24 vs. 38.3 ± 10.1 ml, P < 0.001, respectively). Additionally, LVEF in HF was lower compared to NHF patients (21.3 ± 6.1% vs. 69.6 ± 3.7, P < 0.001, respectively). All exercise parameters were lower in HF compared to NHF patients (P < 0.001). Patients within the HF group were additionally analyzed according to T2* values (<10 ms). HF patients with T2* < 10 ms (n = 13) were considered as high iron overloaded (HF-H) and the rest of them (n = 23) as (HF-L). Although LVEDV, LVESV, LVEF were similar in the two subgroups, the exercise parameters were significantly lower in the HF-H group (P < 0.001). Heart T2* correlated with all exercise parameters (P < 0.001). HF thalassemic patients have reduced exercise indexes compared to non HF. Myocardial iron overload, expressed as T2*, has a direct influence on exercise capacity, independent of LV ejection fraction and functional class.