Thalassemia > Risk Factors

Risk factors for Thalassemia are factors that do not seem to be a direct cause of the disease, but seem to be associated in some way. Having a risk factor for Thalassemia makes the chances of getting a condition higher but does not always lead to Thalassemia. Also, the absence of any risk factors or having a protective factor does not necessarily guard you against getting Thalassemia.

Factors that increase your risk of thalassemia include:

• Family history. Thalassemia is passed from parents to children through defective hemoglobin genes.

• Ancestry. Thalassemia occurs most often in people of Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern, southern Asian and African ancestry. Alpha-thalassemia affects mainly people of Southeast Asian, Chinese and Filipino descent.