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Subclinical autonomic dysfunction in patients with beta-thalassemia

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Abstract

We electrophysiologically evaluated the autonomic function (AF) in a consecutive series of patients with beta-thalassemia and in normal individuals. Six quantitative autonomic function tests (AFTs) were used: tilt test, hand grip test and sympathetic skin response for sympathetic function; R–R interval, inspiration–expiration difference and 30/15 ratio for parasympathetic function. The prevalence of impaired AF was higher in beta-thalassemia patients (13%, n = 5) than in control subjects (0%, n = 0; p = 0.026). Subclinical autonomic dysfunction appeared to be more prevalent in beta-thalassemia patients compared to controls in our series. Further independent validation of this finding is required in larger cohorts of beta-thalassemia patients.

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Acknowledgments

Dr Elefterios Stamboulis and Dr Georgios Tsivgoulis had full access to all of the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

Conflict of interest

There are no conflict of interest to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Second Department of Neurology, Attikon Hospital, University of Athens, Iras 39, 15344, Athens, Greece

    Elefterios Stamboulis, Nikoleta Vlachou, Konstantinos Voumvourakis, Athina Andrikopoulou, Chrisa Arvaniti, Athanasios Tsivgoulis & Georgios Tsivgoulis

  2. Vascular Unit, Third Department of Surgery, Attikon Hospital, University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Dimitrios Athanasiadis

  3. Fourth Academic Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Attikon University Hospital, University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece

    Sotirios Tsiodras

  4. First Department of Propaedeutic Medicine, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece

    Nikolaos Tentolouris

  5. Second Department of Cardiology, Medical School, Attikon Hospital, University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Heleni Triantafyllidi

  6. Thalassemia Unit, General Hospital of Piraeus, Athens, Greece

    Marouso Drossou-Servou

  7. Prenatal Diagnosis Unit, Center for Thalassemia, Laikon General Hospital, Athens, Greece

    Aphrodite Loutradi-Anagnostou

  8. Department of Neurology, Democritus University of Thrace, University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece

    Georgios Tsivgoulis

Authors
  1. Elefterios Stamboulis
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  2. Nikoleta Vlachou
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  3. Konstantinos Voumvourakis
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  4. Athina Andrikopoulou
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  5. Chrisa Arvaniti
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  6. Athanasios Tsivgoulis
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  7. Dimitrios Athanasiadis
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  8. Sotirios Tsiodras
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  9. Nikolaos Tentolouris
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  10. Heleni Triantafyllidi
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  11. Marouso Drossou-Servou
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  12. Aphrodite Loutradi-Anagnostou
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  13. Georgios Tsivgoulis
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Georgios Tsivgoulis.

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Stamboulis, E., Vlachou, N., Voumvourakis, K. et al. Subclinical autonomic dysfunction in patients with beta-thalassemia. Clin Auton Res 22, 147–150 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-011-0154-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-011-0154-2

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