Sickle Cell Disease Sickle Cell Trait
What is sickle cell trait?
Sickle cell trait occurs when a person has one copy of the sickle cell gene passed down from one parent along with a normal hemoglobin gene (hemoglobin A) from the other parent. People who have sickle cell trait are sometimes called . Sickle cell trait is different from sickle cell anemia or sickle cell disease.
More than 2 million people in the United States live with sickle cell trait. About 1 in 13 Black babies born in the United States have the trait. Most people living with sickle cell trait have no symptoms and lead normal lives. It is rare for people with sickle cell trait to have complications from the condition, but a few do. Scientists are working to better understand when and how sickle cell trait might affect a person’s health.
Sickle cell trait does not shorten a person’s lifespan. Sometimes after death, sickled cells are found in the blood. However, this does not mean that sickled cells were present before death or that the person died from complications of sickled cells. More recent studies in athletes and military recruits have shown that sickle cell trait is not associated with injuries in extreme heat or heavy exercise.
What is the difference between sickle cell trait and sickle cell disease?
People with sickle cell trait have only one copy of the hemoglobin S (sickle) gene and usually do not have symptoms related to the disease. Sickle cell trait does not turn into sickle cell disease.
In contrast, people with sickle cell disease have two copies of the hemoglobin S gene. Some people have sickle cell disease because they have one hemoglobin S gene and another gene for a different faulty hemoglobin. Without a gene to produce normal hemoglobin A, red blood cells break down quickly. This leads to long-lasting, serious anemia. Red blood cells lose their normal shape and form a crescent or sickle shape, which gives the disease its name.
What does it mean if you have sickle cell trait?
Most people who have sickle cell trait never experience serious medical problems. However, in rare cases, some people who have sickle cell trait can experience complications. A person with the trait is more likely to have symptoms when their body needs more oxygen than usual, as in when they:
- Engage in intense physical activity
- Are active at higher elevations such as mountains or unpressurized airplanes
- Become dehydrated
- Experience extreme heat or cold, resulting in abnormally high or low body temperatures
Some people with sickle cell trait experience damage to their kidneys or .
People with sickle cell trait should be aware of their condition because they can pass the gene onto their children. If both parents have sickle cell trait, there is a greater chance that one or more of their children will be born with sickle cell disease.