Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 1, 2026

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children
07:01

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children

Published on: March 1, 2019

8.5K

Cardioprotective Effects of Spirulina Therapy in Children With Beta-Thalassemia Major

Mohammed El-Shanshory1, Osama Tolba, Rasha El-Shafiey

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Tanta University Hospital, Tanta, Egypt.

Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
|December 12, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Spirulina supplementation improved hemoglobin levels and reduced blood transfusion frequency in children with Thalassemia major. The supplement also demonstrated a cardioprotective effect, improving cardiac function in these patients.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Hematology
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Cardiac failure is a major cause of mortality in children with Thalassemia major (TM) due to iron overload.
  • Spirulina, a microalga, possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, with potential cardioprotective effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the beneficial effects of spirulina supplementation in children with Thalassemia major.
  • To assess spirulina's impact on cardiac function and transfusion requirements in TM patients.

Main Methods:

  • An interventional study involving 60 children with TM and 30 healthy controls.
  • Both groups received spirulina (250 mg/kg/d) for 3 months.
  • Cardiac function assessed using 2D Echo, Tissue Doppler, and speckle tracking imaging (STI) pre- and post-supplementation.

Main Results:

  • Significant improvement in hemoglobin levels (P <0.033) and reduced frequency of blood transfusions (66.6% to 40%).
  • Significant improvement in Left Ventricle Global Longitudinal Strain (LVGLS) (P <0.002), indicating enhanced cardiac function.

Conclusions:

  • Spirulina supplementation may reduce blood transfusion needs in TM patients.
  • Spirulina exhibits a cardioprotective effect, mitigating cardiac damage in Thalassemia major.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Postconditioning with Lactate-enriched Blood for Cardioprotection in ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction05:26

Postconditioning with Lactate-enriched Blood for Cardioprotection in ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Published on: May 28, 2019

9.7K
Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children &#8211; Working Memory (CABC-WM)09:05

Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)

Published on: June 12, 2017

30.8K

Related Concept Videos

Major Organs of the Digestive System01:19

Major Organs of the Digestive System

The digestive system is responsible for the ingestion of food, secretion of enzymes, mixing and digesting food, absorption of the nutrients and defecation. The human digestive system consists of two major parts: the gastrointestinal tract and the accessory digestive organs.
Gastrointestinal tract:
9.5K
Major Hormones and Their Functions01:27

Major Hormones and Their Functions

Hormones, the biochemical messengers produced by endocrine glands, are pivotal in regulating bodily functions and maintaining homeostasis. Each hormone's balance is crucial; imbalances can lead to significant physiological disruptions. Major hormones include oxytocin, cortisol, epinephrine, estrogen, testosterone, thyroxine, growth hormone, insulin, and glucagon.
Oxytocin, produced in the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland, plays a role in social bonding, childbirth, and...
1.9K
Major Losses in Pipes01:28

Major Losses in Pipes

When a fluid flows through a pipe, it experiences energy losses due to frictional resistance along the pipe walls, known as major losses. These energy losses result in a pressure drop, which varies based on the flow conditions — whether laminar or turbulent — and the specific physical properties of the fluid and pipe.
Fluid flow can be classified as laminar or turbulent, primarily based on the Reynolds number. This dimensionless number reflects the relative influence of inertial to viscous...
2.0K
Gene Therapy00:59

Gene Therapy

Gene therapy is a technique where a gene is inserted into a person’s cells to prevent or treat a serious disease. The added gene may be a healthy version of the gene that is mutated in the patient, or it could be a different gene that inactivates or compensates for the patient’s disease-causing gene. For example, in patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) due to a mutation in the gene for the enzyme adenosine deaminase, a functioning version of the gene can be...
27.6K
Anatomy of the Brain: Major Regions01:20

Anatomy of the Brain: Major Regions

The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. It consists of four main parts: the cerebrum, diencephalon, cerebellum, and brainstem.
The cerebrum is the largest section of the brain and divides into left and right hemispheres, separated by a deep fissure. The cerebral outer layer of grey matter — the cerebral cortex — comprises elevations called gyri and shallow groves called sulci. The inner portion of white matter includes long nerve fibers known as axons, which connect...
10.3K
Major Somatic Sensory Pathways01:28

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the...
2.9K