Prevalence of Hemoglobinopathy in Adult Population at KAMC, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Rationale and Objectives: Hemoglobinopathies are among the most commonly inherited genetic disorders in humans and are considered as a major public health problem in Saudi Arabia. The prevalence of hemoglobinopathies is a severe health threat to the society and future generations if the assessment of hemoglobinopathies in pre-marriage cohorts is not monitored. The purpose of this study is to analyze the type of hemoglobinopathies in relation to age, gender and genetic mutations and to assess the prevalence of hemoglobinopathies in pre-marriage cohort. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study including a sample of 7054 patients who are older than 14 years (i.e. age ≥ 14 years) and were diagnosed with hemoglobinopathies. This study includes adults of both genders (male and female) from pre-marriage screening cohorts at King Abdul-Aziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard – health affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Patients were analyzed over a period of 4 years i.e. 2013 o 2017. Results: The comparative analysis of patient’s clinical characteristics were recorded and among 7054 patient sample, 3822 (54.2%) were male while 3232 (45.8%) were females. The results of the proposed study showed that Saudi Arabia has a high prevalence rate of Sickle Cell Anemia (30.7%) and β-thalassemia (12.8%). The sickle cell trait was the most repeated hemoglobinopathy in this research. Conclusion: According to the results of this cohort study Β-thalassemia and SCA are the most common hemoglobinopathy disorders in Saudi Arabia with a higher prevalence. In countries with a high prevalence of hemoglobinopathies, premarital screening is helpful for identification and prevention of high-risk marriage challenges. There is need for preventive measures and future comprehensive program with reference to the management, diagnosis and prevention of β-thalassemia and sickle cell diseases among patients in Saudi Arabia.