Title

Redefining thalassemia as a hypercoagulable state.

Authors

Cappellini, M. Domenica; Motta, Irene; Musallam, Khaled M.; Taher, Ali T.

Abstract

As the life expectancy of β-thalassemia patients has markedly improved over the last decade, several new complications are being recognized. The presence of a high incidence of thromboembolic events, mainly in thalassemia intermedia patients, has led to the identification of a hypercoagulable state in thalassemia. In this review, the molecular and cellular mechanisms leading to hypercoagulability in thalassemia are highlighted, and the current clinical experience is summarized. Recommendations for thrombosis prophylaxis are also discussed.

Subjects

THALASSEMIA; LIFE expectancy; CARDIOVASCULAR diseases; THROMBOEMBOLISM; THROMBOSIS

Publication

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2010, Vol 1202, Issue 1, p231

ISSN

0077-8923

Publication type

Academic Journal

DOI

10.1111/j.1749-6632.2010.05548.x