title: Negative health implications of sickle cell trait in high income countries: from the football field to the laboratory.
abstract: Worldwide, sickle cell trait is a highly prevalent gene carrier state. While generally a benign condition with a normal life expectancy, it is becoming increasingly clear that the sickle trait is associated with certain adverse outcomes. This article will focus on three of these outcomes, namely exertional rhabdomyolysis and sudden death, chronic renal dysfunction, and venous thromboembolism. In each case, the epidemiological evidence for the association is reviewed, together with the existing data on potential underlying mechanisms. Because newborn screening programmes for sickle cell anaemia also identify those with sickle cell trait, it is imperative that further studies determine what, if any, preventive measures can be taken to reduce the burden of these uncommon but potentially morbid complications in affected individuals.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Nigel S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Key
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire CRIS EA647, Section 'Vascular Biology and Red Blood Cell', Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.|Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Connes
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Vimal K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Derebail
mesh_terms: D003645:Death, Sudden / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D012206:Rhabdomyolysis / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D012805:Sickle Cell Trait / Q000097:blood / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: chronic renal disease; exertional rhabdomyolysis; sickle trait; venous thromboembolism