Sickle Cell Anemia: Prevalence and At-Risk Populations

Sickle cell anemia is a hereditary disease marked by the production of abnormally shaped red blood cells. Certain populations have a greater chance of inheriting the genes associated with the development of this disease.

Affected Populations

• Sickle cell anemia most commonly occurs in individuals with genetic origins in Africa, Central and South America, the Caribbean, India, Saudi Arabia and Mediterranean locations, including Italy, Greece and Turkey, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

U.S. Numbers

• Approximately 70,000 to 100,000 individuals in the U.S. have sickle cell anemia, reports the NHLBI. The most commonly affected groups are African Americans and Hispanic Americans.

U.S. Rates

• The NHLBI notes that one in every 500 African Americans and one in every 36,000 Hispanic Americans has sickle cell at birth.

Sickle Cell Trait

• Approximately 2 million Americans carry a sickle cell gene but do not have active sickle cell anemia, according to the Nemours Foundation. Individuals with this genetic trait can potentially pass sickle cell anemia to their children.

Significance

• Individuals with sickle cell anemia can die of complications such as infection and organ failure, according to Medline Plus.