Epidemiology

The epidemiological data on SCD is scarce. It is well known that SCD and HbAS are more prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, where the carrier of HbAS is afforded natural protection against severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria. It is estimated that ~230,000 children were born with SCA, and more than 3.5 million neonates were born with HbAS in sub-Saharan Africa in 2010. an estimated 75% of SCD-related births take place in sub-Saharan Africa. West Africa is home to the largest population of individuals with HbSC disease.[3]

The United States (US) Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that approximately 100,000 Americans have SCD. The CDC also estimates that 1 in 13 babies born to African-American parents have sickle cell trait, and 1 in 365 African-Americans have SCD. The estimated ratio of Hispanic Americans with SCD is 1 in 16,300. Children and adolescents make up to 40% of all SCD patients in the US. The incidence varies by state and geographical concentration of ethnicities. Besides, migration within the country and immigration from foreign countries alter the prevalence of SCD and HbAS. This is true for several countries where patients with SCD and SCA are living. Genetic studies in Brazil have also tied the origin of such patients to the slave trade originating from West Africa (Mina Coast and Angola).[6] With the improvement in technology and ease of international migration, the incidence of SCA is predicted to rise. It is estimated that the annual number of newborns with SCA will exceed 400,000 by 2050.

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There is also a stark difference in mortality and morbidity in high-income and low-income countries. Adopting vaccination guidelines for children with SCD and intensive screening procedures has sharply reduced the mortality of kids with SCD between 0 to 4 years (68% drop noted from 1999 to 2002 compared to 1983 to 1986). On the other hand, in sub-Saharan Africa, 50 to 90% of children born with SCD will die before their fifth birthday. Improving the care afforded in high-income countries and targeted training of healthcare providers have improved life expectancy. However, it still lags by decades compared to matched non-SCD cohorts (54 versus 76 years – projected life expectancy, and 33 years versus 67 years- quality-adjusted life expectancy).[7]

HbSC disease accounts for 30% of all patients with SCD in the US. As with HbAS, patients with the Hb C trait (heterozygous mutation) also remain asymptomatic for most of their lives. Although considered a milder variant of SCD, HbSC disease may present with severe morbidities.[8]

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