Table 2.
Characteristics of the study populations.
| Parameter | Frequency, number (%) |
|---|---|
| Gender | |
| Male | 40 (40%) |
| Female | 60 (60%) |
| Age | |
| <40 years | 54 (54%) |
| ≥40 years | 46 (46%) |
| Region | |
| Northern Thailand | 97 (97%) |
| Other | 3 (3%) |
| Comorbidities | |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 2 (2%) |
| Chronic lung disease | 4 (4%) |
| Chronic kidney disease | 11 (11%) |
| Cirrhosis | 9 (9%) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 11 (11%) |
| Dyslipidemia | 2 (2%) |
| Endocrine disease | 16 (16%) |
| Eye-ENT disease | 4 (4%) |
| Gynecologic disease | 4 (4%) |
| Heart disease | 8 (8%) |
| Hypertension | 7 (7%) |
| HBV infection | 27 (27%) |
| HCV infection | 12 (12%) |
| Malignancy | 4 (4%) |
| Seizure | 4 (4%) |
| Personal history | |
| Alcohol drinking | 14 (14%) |
| Herb use | 1 (1%) |
| Smoking | 4 (4%) |
| Thalassemia type | |
| Alpha-thalassemia | 54 (54%) |
| Hemoglobin H | 38 (38%) |
| Hemoglobin H/CS | 16 (16%) |
| Beta-thalassemia | 46 (46%) |
| Beta-thalassemia and HbE disease | 36 (36%) |
| Beta-thalassemia intermedia | 10 (10%) |
| Hemoglobin | |
| Mean hemoglobin level | 7.8 g/dL |
| Platelet | |
| Mean platelet count | 330,900/mm3 |
| Serum ferritin, ng/mL | |
| Mean ferritin | 1,563.46 ng/mL |
| Maximum ferritin > 800 ng/mL | 76 (76%) |
Hemoglobin H/CS: hemoglobin H with Hb constant spring.