Life Expectancy And Risk Factors Involved In Sickle Cell Disease

Abstract

Background: It is essential to have an understanding of life expectancy and risk factors among patients with sickle cell disease (sickle cell anemia, hemoglobin diseases, and thalassemias). These are required to counsel the patients, target treatment, and plan the right clinical trials.

Methods: A research followed 3764 people ranging from birth to 66 years of age and suffering from SCD. The procedure was done to understand the life expectancy and calculate the average age at death. Moreover, the study understood the reasons for the death in all 209 adults. It used the proportional-hazards regression analysis to know the risks for an untimely death in adults with sickle cell anemia.

Results: When the results for young kids and adults with sickle cell anemia were observed, it was found that the average age at death was 48 for women and 42 for men. Moreover, suffering from hemoglobin C disease had an average mortality age of 60 for men and 68 years for women.

In people with sickle cell disease, 18% of deaths took place in patients with mainly renal organ failures. 33% of the tested patients were medically free of organ failures but episodes of pain crisis took their life. Out of these patients, 78% experienced chronic pain, chest syndrome, or both, while 22% suffered a stroke that took their lives.

Clinical modeling showed that people with sickle cell anemia faced acute chest syndrome, seizures, kidney failure, a white-cell count of over 15,000 per cubic mm, and a low hemoglobin level were related to a risk of early death.

Conclusions: Results suggested that 50% of patients with sickle cell anemia lived beyond the age of 50. A huge share of those who lost their lives suffered no noticeable chronic organ failure. However, most of them died due to acute episodes of pain or stroke. Early death was seen highest among patients who had the symptomatic disease. High levels of fetal hemoglobin suggested improved chances of survival and are assumably a credible source to foresee the risks and other factors related to adult life expectancy.