Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center published study results in Transfusion indicating that certain myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients who require repeated red blood cell transfusions may benefit from a treatment called iron chelation therapy (ICT).

ICT is used to remove excess iron that accumulates in the blood with multiple transfusions. Patients treated with ICT in this study had a median survival time of 9 years compared to 5 years for untreated patients.

The results in the study are based on an analysis of past medical records from MDS patients…

After analyzing patients diagnosed with early myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), Czech researchers from the Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion have concluded that dependence on red blood cell transfusions has a significantly negative impact on the length of overall survival.

Eighty to 90 percent of MDS patients receive transfusions to treat symptoms of anemia, which is a decrease in the number of red blood cells. Symptoms commonly include chronic tiredness or fatigue, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and chilled sensations.

Transfusions help anemic patients by supplementing the insufficient levels of red…

What is excess iron?

Iron is an essential element to all living organisms, as it is an important aspect of health and disease. Iron is essential to red blood cells since they house most of the body’s iron content. Iron is normally bound by different proteins which prevent it from reacting destructively with other cells in the body. However, excess iron can overload these proteins, leading to free iron circulating and accumulating in the body due to the lack of an active mechanism to excrete iron. Iron deposits, especially in…

Researchers from India presented a study examining the effects of wheat grass juice as an iron chelator in transfusion-dependent myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients on May 29 at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting.

Patients with MDS or other transfusion-dependent diseases are at risk for toxic iron build-up in cells, and possible organ damage. Iron chelators bind to excess iron for removal from the body.

The study included 20 transfusion-dependent MDS patients between the ages of 42 of 72 years (median 55 years). The participants…