Efficacy and Safety of Wheat Grass in Thalassemic Children on Regular Blood Transfusion
| Autor: | Kalpana U. Shah, Amit S Mutha, Balasaheb B. Ghongane, Aarti Kinikar |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2018 |
| Předmět: |
thalassemia
medicine.medical_specialty Blood transfusion Every Six Months medicine.medical_treatment Thalassemia blood transfusion 030204 cardiovascular system & hematology Pediatrics 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine Quality of life Internal medicine Genetics Internal Medicine medicine Prospective cohort study Serum ferritin Liver size business.industry General Engineering medicine.disease wheat grass Folic acid 030220 oncology & carcinogenesis business |
| Zdroj: | Cureus |
| ISSN: | 2168-8184 |
| DOI: | 10.7759/cureus.2306 |
| Popis: | Background: In thalassemia, mutations either in alpha or beta chain synthesis results in low hemoglobin (Hb). Wheatgrass has been used for many years for health purposes. Some reports suggest the beneficial effect of wheatgrass on transfusion requirements. Folic acid is also known to play an important role in several biochemical reactions. In some patients with thalassemia, the supplementation of folic acid is useful. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of wheatgrass in children with thalassemia receiving chronic blood transfusions. Material and methods: In this randomized prospective study, 69 children with thalassemia were divided into the wheatgrass group and the control group (no wheatgrass). Both groups received a regular blood transfusion and folic acid. The treatment duration was 18 months. Anthropometric parameters, number of transfusions, and amount of blood transfused were compared within and between the groups at the end of the therapy. Clinical examinations, laboratory investigations, and ultrasounds for liver and spleen span were performed at the baseline and then every six months till 18 months. Adverse effects (if any) were noted on every visit. Quality of life (QOL) was evaluated before and at the end of the study using a questionnaire. Results: Sixty-nine (study group (n=45; mean age 6.35 ± 2.65 yrs); control group (n=24; 4.86 ± 2.77 yrs)) patients were enrolled, of which 12 from the study group and three from the control group did not complete the study. The difference in liver size within the wheatgrass group was significant (P |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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