Cardiac abnormalities such as left ventricular hypertrophy, dilation and pulmonary hypertension in sickle cell anemia, have been previously described. Hydroxyurea, a disease modifying therapy for sickle cell anemia, has been used for several decades. Longitudinal assessment of echocardiographic abnormalities in children and young adults with sickle cell anemia on hydroxyurea therapy is lacking. In this retrospective study, we aim to determine the prevalence of echocardiographic abnormalities in children and young adults with sickle cell anemia and to examine the effects of hydroxyurea on reverse cardiac remodeling. We reviewed the records of patients with sickle cell anemia who underwent routine cardiac screening at Cohen Children's Medical Center between 2010 and 2017, followed by retrospective longitudinal analysis of echocardiograms performed on patients receiving treatment with hydroxyurea. Data on a total of 100 patients with sickle cell anemia were analyzed; 60 (60%) were on hydroxyurea. Twenty-five (41.6%) of the patients on hydroxyurea had been treated for less than 1 year; these patients had a significantly greater prevalence of left ventricular dilation compared to those who had been on treatment for more than 1 year. Serial echocardiograms were then analyzed on patients receiving hydroxyurea. Left ventricular dilation and hypertrophy improved significantly with hydroxyurea treatment. Additionally, the left ventricular volume and mass correlated negatively with duration of treatment with hydroxyurea. Our study provides evidence that prolonged hydroxyurea therapy may lead to reverse cardiac remodeling. Future studies should attempt to follow this patient cohort for a longer duration.
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