evaluation of the relationship between t2*cmr and cardiac depolarization and repolarization parameters in beta-thalassemia patients

Background: cardiac iron overload causes severe cardiac complications and is a leading cause of death in beta-thalassemia major patient. t2*cmr can detect preclinical cardiac iron overload. we evaluated the ability of 12-lead electrocardiographic atrial and ventricular depolarization and repolarization parameters to predict cardiac iron loading in tm.materials and methods: this cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with beta thalassemia major; all participants underwent standard 12 lead electrocardiogram during a single study visit and the depolarization and repolarization parameters of ecg were measured and compared to the cardiac iron level detected by t2*cmr, with a detectable cardiac iron cutoff of t2*less than 20 ms.results: a total of 26 patients (mean 26.19 years old, 34.62% male) were included. mean t2*cmr values were 21.53 ms (46.15% <20 ms, 53.85% ≥20 ms). among ecg parameters, only pwd, qtc and qtcd (p: 0.026, 0.030, and 0.006 respectively) were significantly prolonged in patients with t2* < 20 ms compared to patients with t2*≥ 20 ms. there was a statistically negative correlation between t2 * cmr and pwd and qtcd (p: 0.028, and 0.021 respectively). moreover, no correlation was found between tp-e, tp-e d, jtc, jtcd, tp-e/qt, tp-e/jt, tp-e/jtc and t2* values.conclusions: pwd and qtcd can be used as an alternative to t2*cmr to predict cardiac iron load levels in patients with beta thalassemia major.