Distribution of Abnormal Hemoglobins in Saudi Arabia: Analysis of Private Sector Laboratory Data.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Hemoglobinopathies are inherited blood disorders causing both a global and regional burden on health care systems and on affected individuals. Our study describes the epidemiological and statistical distribution of hemoglobin patterns in individuals referred to a large private-sector laboratory network in Saudi Arabia. OBJECTIVE: Our study investigates the distribution of hemoglobin patterns among individuals tested at Alborg laboratories, their Complete Blood Count (CBC) parameters as well as regional distributions. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of a 10-year database that included demographic data, hemoglobin electrophoresis patterns, CBC parameters and ferritin levels. RESULTS: A total of 83,821 individuals were included in the study, of which 53.6% were females with a mean age of 23 years old. The normal hemoglobin pattern was most frequent (63.7%), followed by Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) (19.96%), Thalassemia trait (8.37%), and Sickle Cell Trait (SCT) (5.28%). As for regional data, the largest number of samples came from Makkah (38.5%), followed by Eastern Region (30.2%) then Al-Riyadh (9.3%), collectively representing 78% of the total sample. Highest mean hemoglobin values were found in patients with normal hemoglobin pattern (12.5 g/dL) and the lowest was in the HPFH group (7.8 g/dL). CONCLUSION: This large, multi-regional private-sector study demonstrates the national hemoglobin patterns of individuals undergoing laboratory testing, with geographic patterns of abnormal hemoglobins that parallel those reported in former public-sector national screening programs. These findings may inform targeted screening, counseling and resource allocation strategies in Saudi Arabia.