Comparative Effects of Three Iron Chelation Therapies on the Quality of Life of Greek Patients with Homozygous Transfusion-Dependent Beta-Thalassemia

Table 1

Demographic characteristics and physical activity of the patients.

	DFO; (𝑛=21)		DFX; (𝑛=75)		DFO + DFP; (𝑛=39)
	𝑛	%	𝑛	%	𝑛	%	𝑃 value
Gender
Male	15	71.4	40	53.3	21	53.8	NS
Female	6	28.6	35	46.7	18	46.2
Marital status
Single	12	57.1	48	64.0	26	66.7
Married	8	38.1	20	26.7	11	28.2
Divorced	0	0.0	4	5.3	0	0.0	NS
Did not answer	1	4.8	3	4.0	2	5.1
Parenthood
Yes	5	23.8	12	16.0	10	25.6
No	15	71.4	60	80.0	28	71.8	NS
Did not answer	1	4.8	3	4.0	1	2.6
Physical activity
None/low	8	38.1	17	22.7	3	7.7
Moderate/high	13	61.9	54	72.0	36	92.3	NS
Did not answer	0	0.0	4	5.3	0	0.0
Sports
Yes	2	9.5	34	45.3	6	15.4
No	19	90.5	36	48.0	33	84.6	<0.0001
Did not answer	0	0.0	5	6.7	0	0.0
Smoking status
Smoker	3	14.3	15	20.0	10	25.6
Nonsmoker	6	28.6	36	48.0	10	25.6	NS
Did not answer	12	57.1	24	32.0	39	48.7
Employment status
Employed	16	76.2	60	80.0	28	71.8
Unemployed	5	23.8	12	16.0	11	28.2	NS
Did not answer	0	0.0	3	4.0	0	0.0

DFO: deferoxamine; DFX: deferasirox; DFP: deferiprone; NS: not significant. 𝑃 values < 0.05 indicate statistical differences between the three groups.