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Myocardial infarction and thalassemia trait: An example of heterozygote advantage
Author(s) -
Wang ChengHsu,
Schilling Robert F.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
american journal of hematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.456
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1096-8652
pISSN - 0361-8609
DOI - 10.1002/ajh.2830490112
Subject(s) - medicine , myocardial infarction , thalassemia , trait , sickle cell trait , hemoglobinopathy , cardiology , population , infarction , hemolytic anemia , disease , environmental health , computer science , programming language
This study was designed to test the hypothesis that thalassemia trait diminishes the likelihood of myocardial infarction. If the hypothesis is true the prevalence of thalassemia trait should be less in myocardial infarct patients than in a control population. Blood counts and blood chemistry data from 500 men in Taiwan with a discharge diagnosis of myocardial infarction were recorded, and similar data were gathered on 500 men admitted to the same hospital for a routine check‐up. Thalassemia trait was diagnosed via a discriminant function applied to the red blood cell count and indices. The study was done in a large modern hospital in Taipei; 14 of the 500 infarct patients and 33 of the 500 non‐infarct subjects had thalassemia trait as defined here. The prevalence of thalassemia trait in myocardial infarct patients is significantly less than in the control subjects. This case control study supports the hypothesis that thalassemia trait lessens the risk of myocardial infarction. © 193s Wiley‐Liss, Inc.