What Are The Complications Of Thalassemia?

Iron Overload

Individuals with thalassemia are often treated with a regimen of blood transfusions to compensate for the lack of healthy red blood cells. Blood transfusions can cause an excess amount of iron in the body. Thalassemia patients may also develop iron overload when their small intestine tries to compensate for the disorder by absorbing too much iron from food. When iron is circulating in the blood around the body, it is bound to a protein called transferrin. The binding of iron to this protein ensures only the tissues that need the iron will actually receive it. This mechanism protects other tissues around the body from iron toxicity. When there is more iron in the blood than there is transferrin for it to bind with, the iron can enter any organ. When large amounts of iron enter the issues of an organ, the organ becomes toxic. Critical organs such as the liver, kidneys, pancreas, and heart are very sensitive to iron toxicity, and their tissues become damaged as a result of iron overexposure.

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