Thalassemia and Risk for Iron Overload

A life-long disease that typically begins in childhood, thalassemia refers to a group of inherited blood disorders in which the body produces too few alpha or beta proteins in red blood cells. As a result, the blood cells don't form properly and cannot carry enough oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body.

There are many types of thalassemia, including alpha thalassemia and beta thalassemia. Depending on the type, thalassemia can happen to anyone, but is mostly found in people whose ancestry is:

• African
• Mediterranean (such as people who are Italian and Greek)
• Middle Eastern
• Southeast Asian (such as people who are Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Thai)

Depending on the severity or form of thalassemia, patients may have blood transfusions every 2 to 4 weeks to help relieve their symptoms. Although the transfusions can help improve quality of life for people with thalassemia, they add excess iron to the body—iron that won't go away by itself. Having 10 or more transfusions in a lifetime can overload the body with iron. And too much iron can damage the heart, liver, and other organs.

The good news is that a simple blood test called a serum ferritin test can help you find out if you have iron overload. Ask your doctor if the serum ferritin test is right for you. Then be sure to talk with your doctor about iron overload, your risk, screening and diagnosis, and how to manage iron overload.

If you continue to have blood transfusions, remember that it's important to stay on track with monitoring to be sure your iron levels are where they should be. Ask your doctor when you should be tested to find out if your iron levels have changed.