Echocardiographic and electrocardiographic prognostic factors of heart failure in young patients with beta-thalassemia major: a 10-year (1995--2004) follow-up.

Despite intense iron-chelation therapy, the life expectancy of patients with beta-thalassemia major (beta-TM) is still limited by the occurrence of heart failure. In the present study, we sought to evaluate the prognostic significance of several clinical factors on the outcome of heart failure or arrhythmias in patients with beta-TM. The study group consisted of 131 consecutive young patients with beta-TM (71 men aged 21+/-4 years, 60 women aged 22+/-5 years) who were initially examined during 1995.