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Abstract
Thalassemias include a heterogenous group of hereditary hypochromic hemolytic disorders, which result from absence or reduced production of one or more of the polypeptide chains of hemoglobin. Beta thalassemia is the commonest type of thalassemia in the world.
The use of Regular and frequent blood transfusion together with aggressive iron chelation therapy permit better growth and have improved the span and the quality of life of the patients with this disease.
Repeated transfusion therapy produces chronic iron overload which causes many complications and frequently endocrine complications, especially the development of diabetes mellitus. Although insulin deficiency secondary to pancreatic islet iron deposition has been assumed to be the principle cause, hyperinsulinemia with abnormal glucose tolerance testing may suggest a role of insulin resistance.
The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of insulin resistance in patients of beta thalassemia major with secondary hemochromatosis.
Our work was carried on 34 thalassemic patients. Their age ranged from 10-21years. While20 cases (58%) were males and14 cases (41%) were females. Twelve healthy children, age, sex and BMI matched, served as a control group.