Which pair correctly lists the two most common demographics associated with Sickle Cell Anemia?

Which pair correctly lists the two most common demographics associated with Sickle Cell Anemia?

• A. Caucasians and Asians
• B. Asians and Mediterranean
• C. Caucasians and African Americans
• D. African Americans and Mediterranean

Answer: (D)

Sickle cell anemia is most prevalent in populations where malaria has been historically common, because the sickle cell trait provides some protection against malaria when present in one copy. This leads to higher frequencies of the disease in people of African descent and in those from the Mediterranean region, where the mutation has been maintained over generations. Therefore, the two demographics with the highest disease burden are African Americans and individuals of Mediterranean heritage. The other pairings mix groups with much lower overall prevalence or omit one of the high-prevalence populations, making them less accurate.

Sickle cell anemia is most prevalent in populations where malaria has been historically common, because the sickle cell trait provides some protection against malaria when present in one copy. This leads to higher frequencies of the disease in people of African descent and in those from the Mediterranean region, where the mutation has been maintained over generations. Therefore, the two demographics with the highest disease burden are African Americans and individuals of Mediterranean heritage. The other pairings mix groups with much lower overall prevalence or omit one of the high-prevalence populations, making them less accurate.