Study Says African-Americans With Sickle Cell Trait Are Not More Likely To Die

Good news for African-Americans. If you were born with a trait for sickle cell disease, don't worry about your life just yet because a study has discovered that the risk of death isn't as high as was previously believed.

Are African-Americans With Sickle Cell Trait More Likely To Die?

According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, African-Americans with a sickle cell trait are not in extreme risk of dying but are more likely to have skeletal tissues breaking down from strenuous exercise. This is in contrast to previous studies that have found these people to have higher chances of dying (via The Morning Ticker).

Using 2011 to 2014 health records of 47,944 black soldiers with sickle cell trait, the researchers were able to discover that risk of death is not increased when this group is subjected to dehydration and overheating. Additionally, the risk to develop exertional rhabdomyolysis among African-Americans with the sickle cell trait is also not significant compared to other causes.

As per WebMD, rhabdomyolysis is a serious syndrome caused by a muscle injury. The condition can lead to kidney failure and even death. For African-Americans with sickle cell trait, the study found out that the risk of the syndrome falls at just 54 percent higher compared to those without sickle cell trait. This is much lower than the risk posed by prescription drugs, smoking, obesity and old age which is at 300 percent.

What Is Sickle Cell Anemia?

According to Mayo Clinic, sickle cell anemia is an inherited condition characterized with low count of healthy red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body. The blood cells are irregularly shaped and can get stuck when passing through small blood vessels that would slow down or block blood and oxygen flow.

As per National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, sickle cell disease is most prevalent among African-Americans in the U.S. About 1 in 13 African-American babies is born with a sickle cell trait and about 1 in every 365 African-American children is born with sickle cell disease.

The common prevalence is probably why the two earlier studies created a fear among African-Americans with sickle cell trait. Do you think that the study discussed above provided sufficient evidence to prove that the said group does not have higher chances of death? Sound off your thoughts in the Comments section and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates.