Thalassemia

Thalassemia (British English: thalassaemia) are forms of inherited autosomal recessive blood disorders that originated in the Mediterranean region. In thalassemia, the disease is caused by the weakening and destruction of red blood cells.

Whilst possessing the ability to cause significant complications, including anaemia, iron overload, bone deformities and cardiovascular illness, thalassemia may confer a degree of protection against malaria, which is or was prevalent in the regions where the trait is common. This selective survival advantage on carriers (known as heterozygous advantage) may be responsible for perpetuating the mutation in populations. In that respect, the various thalassemias resemble another genetic disorder affecting hemoglobin, sickle-cell disease.