Impact of β-thalassemia trait carrier state on inflammatory status in patients with newly diagnosed hypertension

Background B-thalassemia carrier state or thalassemia minor confers cardiovascular protection through favorable lipidemic and blood pressure profile. However, its impact on inflammatory status—a common denominator of the above conditions—has not been addressed. Methods We investigated a wide range of inflammatory markers [white blood cell (WBC) count, homocysteine, C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA), fibrinogen, plasminogen,...