First thing yes, it is completely reversible. It will take aggressive chelation and this is why they want to use IV desferal. The first line of defense for congestive heart failure (CHF) in thalassemics is IV desferal for up to two weeks, depending on the severity of the iron overload in the heart. This can be measured with the T2* test or the SQUID test, but I do not believe SQUID is available in the UK. The closest place for SQUID would probably be Hamburg, Germany. There is a well established protocol for treating CHF that has been developed by Dr John Wood and others at LA Children's Hospital and it does sound like your bf's doctors are aware of this. If he is being treated at Whittington Hospital, I am sure they can help him, as long as he is willing to cooperate. Many thals may believe this is the end when they hear CHF but with today's methods of treatment, that is no longer true and I want your bf to understand this. If he is unsure about this, please have him contact me privately at andy@thalpal.com. Once he goes through the IV desferal for as long as prescribed, I would highly recommend combination therapy using desferal and Ferriprox (which is now available in an easy to use oral solution). This combination has been proven to be the absolute best chelation method for removing iron from the heart. My good friend Katerina had the best care all her life but still ended up with a high heart iron load. Combination therapy with desferal and Ferriprox has reversed this and she is doing quite well now. If your bf ignores his treatment, the result is a slow and quite painful death. I don't say this to frighten you or him but it is the truth and I have witnessed my best friend slowly die and also am closely familiar with another case of a friend in the Maldives who refused to chelate and also slowly died. This of course is both horrible and avoidable with the treatment programs that have now been developed. This is rather new so your bf may not be aware of it, but as I said. CHF is completely reversible with aggressive chelation and this will be reflected in the ejection fraction.
Now what you need to do is refuse to fight with him. If he is hesitant to start the IV desferal, please try to convince him to email me and please do not let your frustrations with him lead you to fight. He may not understand the progress that has been made in recent years in combating CHF and this would lead him to a bad place inside. He needs to be given the information that he can beat this, but it is up to him to do the work. He needs understanding and support and he also needs to realize that there are several thals in their 50's who are alive and well in London and that, yes it is possible to live a good life with thalassemia. One of these guys recently became a granddad. I am very willing to talk to him to try to help, so please try to convince him to at least read what I have written here. He can beat this and there is no doubt about it, but it is up to him and him alone to make the decision to be a fighter and embrace life. I don't even know him but I want him to live. I've seen the alternative and with the treatment that has now been developed, there is no reason to not take advantage of it and have a good life.