medical progress b - Thalassemia

Thalassemia is among the most common genetic disorders worldwide; 4.83 percent of the world’s population carry globin variants, including 1.67 percent of the population who are heterozygous for a -thalassemia and b -thalassemia. In addition, 1.92 percent carry sickle hemoglobin, 0.95 percent carry hemoglobin E, and 0.29 percent carry hemoglobin C. Thus, the worldwide birth rate of people who are homozygous or compound heterozygous for symptomatic globin disorders, including a -thalassemia and b -thalassemia, is no less than 2.4 per 1000 births, of which 1.96 have sickle cell disease and 0.44 have thalassemias. 5