Why You Need To Know More About Your Family’s Medical History
- By
Julia Austin
Source: Courtney Hale / Getty
Which conditions commonly afflict the Black community?
“Sickle cell, beta-thalassemia, and G6P deficiency are conditions in Black families that are genetic,” Powell states. Both sickle cell and beta-thalassemia are blood disorders, and the CDC reports that sickle cell disease impacts 1 in every 365 Black Americans. Research has shown that beta-thalassemia is particularly active amongst Black males. G6P deficiency – formally Glucose-6-phosphate deficiency – is a condition that predominantly affects males, and occurs more in Black men than other groups. It’s a condition characterized by the lack of an enzyme, which causes red blood cells to break down prematurely, and cause issues like shortness of breath, dark urine, and rapid heart rate.
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