Exercise Recommendations for Patients with Thalassemia Major
by Skyler Pang
Category: Medicine
Abstract – Thalassemia major (TM) is an inherited blood disorder caused by one or more genetic mutations that change the structure of hemoglobin and red blood cells (RBCs). This leads to multiple complications including anemia, splenomegaly, excess blood-iron levels, and stunted physical development. Although a growing body of research describes the impact of cardiac iron burden, anemia, and pubertal delay on exercise capacity in thalassemia patients, there is a gap in the clinical literature regarding exercise recommendations for these individuals. Accordingly, this paper evaluates and analyzes relevant literature in order to propose an exercise recommendation model for adolescent male TM patients. It generally concludes that patients should adjust the duration, frequency and intensity of exercise based on the severity of their symptoms.