Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Thalassemia and sickle cell anemia in Swedish immigrants : Genetic diseases have become global

Hemminki, Kari LU ; Li, Xinjun LU ; Försti, Asta LU ; Sundquist, Jan LU and Sundquist, Kristina LU (2015) In SAGE Open Medicine 3.
Abstract

AIMS: Some 15% of the Swedish population is born outside Sweden, originating from all continents of the world. Thalassemia and sickle cell anemia constitute the most common inherited recessive disorders globally and they are endemic in areas of Africa and Asia, origins of many immigrants to Sweden. We aimed at investigating the origins of the Swedish sickle cell and thalassemia patients.

METHODS: Patients were identified using data from the Swedish Hospital Discharge Register since 1987 and from the Outpatient Register since 2001 up to year 2010.

RESULTS: A total of 3064 persons were diagnosed with thalassemia. The incidence was highest, 62.9/100,000 for immigrants from Thailand, followed by Iraqis (47.1/100,000); the rate... (More)

AIMS: Some 15% of the Swedish population is born outside Sweden, originating from all continents of the world. Thalassemia and sickle cell anemia constitute the most common inherited recessive disorders globally and they are endemic in areas of Africa and Asia, origins of many immigrants to Sweden. We aimed at investigating the origins of the Swedish sickle cell and thalassemia patients.

METHODS: Patients were identified using data from the Swedish Hospital Discharge Register since 1987 and from the Outpatient Register since 2001 up to year 2010.

RESULTS: A total of 3064 persons were diagnosed with thalassemia. The incidence was highest, 62.9/100,000 for immigrants from Thailand, followed by Iraqis (47.1/100,000); the rate was 0.7/100,000 among those born in Sweden. The total number of sickle cell anemia patients was 584 and the highest rate of 13.0/100,000 was found for Sub-Saharan immigrants. For thalassemia, 363 of the patients were siblings, while for sickle cell anemia, 180 were siblings.

CONCLUSIONS: The data showed that >90% of sickle cell and thalassemia patients were first- or second-generation immigrants to Sweden and the endemic regions for these were the origins of immigrants with the highest incidence. Global immigration provides global challenges to national health care systems.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
SAGE Open Medicine
volume
3
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:85053419293
  • pmid:27092253
ISSN
2050-3121
DOI
10.1177/2050312115613097
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b323b21a-4538-466d-94f6-501cb9b4774e
date added to LUP
2019-01-30 10:50:29
date last changed
2024-09-20 01:35:59
@article{b323b21a-4538-466d-94f6-501cb9b4774e,
  abstract     = {{<p>AIMS: Some 15% of the Swedish population is born outside Sweden, originating from all continents of the world. Thalassemia and sickle cell anemia constitute the most common inherited recessive disorders globally and they are endemic in areas of Africa and Asia, origins of many immigrants to Sweden. We aimed at investigating the origins of the Swedish sickle cell and thalassemia patients.</p><p>METHODS: Patients were identified using data from the Swedish Hospital Discharge Register since 1987 and from the Outpatient Register since 2001 up to year 2010.</p><p>RESULTS: A total of 3064 persons were diagnosed with thalassemia. The incidence was highest, 62.9/100,000 for immigrants from Thailand, followed by Iraqis (47.1/100,000); the rate was 0.7/100,000 among those born in Sweden. The total number of sickle cell anemia patients was 584 and the highest rate of 13.0/100,000 was found for Sub-Saharan immigrants. For thalassemia, 363 of the patients were siblings, while for sickle cell anemia, 180 were siblings.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: The data showed that &gt;90% of sickle cell and thalassemia patients were first- or second-generation immigrants to Sweden and the endemic regions for these were the origins of immigrants with the highest incidence. Global immigration provides global challenges to national health care systems.</p>}},
  author       = {{Hemminki, Kari and Li, Xinjun and Försti, Asta and Sundquist, Jan and Sundquist, Kristina}},
  issn         = {{2050-3121}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{SAGE Open Medicine}},
  title        = {{Thalassemia and sickle cell anemia in Swedish immigrants : Genetic diseases have become global}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2050312115613097}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/2050312115613097}},
  volume       = {{3}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}