Studies on blood clots and sickle cell trait finding impact all Black/African American populations

23andMe Holding Co., a prominent genetic health and biopharmaceutical company, has partnered with researchers from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NIH) and Johns Hopkins University to conduct a comprehensive study on sickle cell trait (SCT). Unlike previous studies that primarily focused on Black/African American populations, this research utilized 23andMe’s diverse participant base, totaling 4.2 million individuals, including 19,000 with SCT.

The study explored the link between SCT and venous thromboembolism (VTE), assessing the risks compared to factor V Leiden (FVL). While SCT typically involves one gene for sickle hemoglobin production—generally resulting in good health—it can pose risks for conditions like blood clots. The findings confirmed an association between SCT and VTE, indicating that SCT carriers face a lower risk of VTE compared to FVL carriers. Furthermore, while SCT was linked to pulmonary emboli (PE), it did not correlate with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), contrasting with the findings for FVL, where DVT risk was higher.