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The Impact of Chelation Compliance in Health Outcome and Health-Related Quality of Life in Thalassaemia Patients: A Systematic Review
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  • Lee Wan Jin,
  • Mohd Tahir Nurul Ain ,
  • Shu Chuen Li,
  • Geok Ying Chun
Lee Wan Jin
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
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Mohd Tahir Nurul Ain
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Shu Chuen Li
The University of Newcastle
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Geok Ying Chun
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
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Abstract

Understanding the consequences of poor chelation compliance is crucial given the enormous burden of post-transfusional iron overload complications. We systematically reviewed iron-chelation therapy (ICT) compliance, and the relationship between compliance with health outcome and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in thalassaemia patients. Several reviewers performed systematic search strategy of literature through PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCOhost. The preferred reporting items of systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. Of 4917 studies, 20 publications were included. The ICT compliance rate ranges from 20.93% to 75.3%. It also varied per agent, ranging from 48.84-85.1% for desferioxamine, 87.2-92.2% for deferiprone and 90-100% for deferasirox. Majority of studies (N=10/11, 90.91%) demonstrated significantly negative correlation between compliance and serum ferritin, while numerous studies revealed poor ICT compliance linked with increased risk of liver disease (N=4/7, 57.14%) and cardiac disease (N=6/8, 75%), endocrinologic morbidity (N=4/5, 90%), and lower HRQoL (N=4/6, 66.67%). Inadequate compliance with ICT therapy is common. Higher compliance is correlated with the lower serum ferritin, lower risk of complications, and higher HRQoL. These findings should be interpreted with caution given the few numbers of evidence.