Effect of haematocrit on echocardiographic indices of cardiac dimension in sickle cell anaemia.

Abstract

Background: Several mechanisms have been put forward to explain myocardial dysfunction in sickle cell anaemia.
Aims and objectives: This study was aimed at examining the effect of haematocrit parameters on echocardiographic indices of cardiac dimension in adult sickle cell anaemia patients.
Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was done using 60 patients and 60 controls at the adult sickle cell clinic of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu, Nigeria. All the participants had haematocrit estimation, haemoglobin electrophoresis, as well as echocardiographic evaluation.
Results: The patients had significantly higher mean values than controls in the estimate of left atrial diameter, posterior wall thickness, left ventricular diameters and volumes, left ventricular mass as well as cardiac index, and right ventricular dimension. Significant correlations were demonstrated in the patient between haematocrit and (1) left atrial dimension {-0.418; p = 0.001}, (2) left ventricular mass index {r = - 0.268; p = 0.038 }. Regression model involving haematocrit accounted for 8.00% and 16.07% respectively of the variations in left ventricular mass (F=5.219;P=0.026), and left atrial dimension (F=11.488;P=0.001).
Conclusion: The mechanism of cardiac dysfunction in the sickle cell anaemia is multifactorial with the combined effects of anaemia and sickling playing the major role.

Key words: haematocrit, echocardiographic indices, cardiac dimension, sickle cell.