World Thalassemia Day 2018: 8 facts about this genetic disorder that will shock you

Did you know that about 3.4% of Indian population suffers from thalassemia?

By: Shaloo Tiwari | | Updated: May 8, 2018 11:27 am

India is suffering from the burden of Thalassemia, a genetic disorder, characterised by abnormal formation of haemoglobin which further causes improper transport of oxygen and destruction of red blood cells. Thalassemia causes people to have fewer red blood cells and suffer from anaemia. Also Read - Don’t forget to ask your partner's blood type before tying the knot

This genetic disorder carries some worrisome statistics for patients of India as very recently according to an alarming report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 90% of thalassemic people from the western countries lead quite a normal life whereas almost half of the thalassemic patients in India die before they reach adulthood. Also Read - World Thalassemia Day: Know all about this inherited blood disorder

Here are more facts about the genetic disorder, Thalassemia on World Thalassemia Day that you should know:

About 3.9 % of India s population is a carrier for thalassemia. More than 10,000 thalassemic children born every year in India.
Talking about Thalassemia and its effects on pregnancy experts say that there are about 9 million pregnant carriers every year and almost about 56000 infants have major thalassemia out of which 30000 need a regular transfusion.
People having family members in certain parts of the world like Asia, middle east, Africa, moreover Mediterranean countries like Turkey and Greece have a greater risk of developing Thalassemia.
Thalassemia is almost unpreventable as is hereditary and is passed from parents to children. However, there are vaccinations available and you might want to keep a check on your child’s vaccination schedule.
While treatment depends on the type of thalassemia a patient is suffering from, the most common treatment for thalassemia is a regular blood transfusion.
People suffering from Alpha thalassemia are silent carriers and generally, have symptoms of the disorder.
Regular blood transfusions can result in iron to build up in the blood also called the iron overload and can damage organs like heart and liver. Iron overload-induced heart diseases are the main cause of death among thalassemia patients.
Bone problems like osteoporosis are very common in thalassemia patients.

References:

Rund, D., & Rachmilewitz, E. (2005). -Thalassemia. New England Journal of Medicine, 353(11), 1135-1146.

Bajoria, R., & Chatterjee, R. (2009). Current perspectives of fertility and pregnancy in thalassemia. Hemoglobin, 33(sup1), S131-S135.

Skordis, N., Christou, S., Koliou, M., Pavlides, N., & Angastiniotis, M. (1998). Fertility in female patients with thalassemia. Journal of pediatric endocrinology & metabolism: JPEM, 11, 935-943.

Borgna-Pignatti, C., Rugolotto, S. I. M. O. N. E., De Stefano, P., Zhao, H. U. A. Q. I. N. G., Cappellini, M. D., Del Vecchio, G. C., … & Piga, A. N. T. O. N. I. O. (2004). Survival and complications in patients with thalassemia major treated with transfusion and deferoxamine. haematologica, 89(10), 1187-1193.

Published : May 8, 2018 11:17 am | Updated:May 8, 2018 11:27 am

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