Incidence of impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes mellitus in transfusion dependent thalassemia patients of rural Bengal - An institutional study

Abstract

Introduction: Thalassemia is the world’s commonest monogenic disorder. Molecular biology and genetics have revealed more than 200 mutations of thalassemia syndrome. These children become symptomatic from progressive haemolytic anaemia. They have to take lifelong treatments with regular packed red blood cell transfusion. Our body has no effective means of iron excretion and this leads to progressive iron accumulation in various organs after prolonged blood transfusion. This results in dysfunction of liver, heart and endocrine system and increased mortality. Iron toxicity to pancreatic beta cell leads to impairment in glucose metabolism.