Global longitudinal strain as an Indicator of cardiac Iron overload in thalassemia patients.

While serum ferritin level and ejection fraction are not useful candidates, GLS may be used as a valuable marker to screen thalassemia patients for myocardial iron deposition, using a cut off value below - 19.5. This approach may facilitate the cardiac follow up, reduce the costs, and contribute to preventing deterioration of cardiac function in countries with limited availability of cardiac MRI.