Risk Factors of Thalassemias

Family history and ancestry are the two risk factors for thalassemias.

Family History

Thalassemias are inherited—that is, the genes for the disorders are passed from parents to their children. If your parents have missing or altered hemoglobin-making genes, you may have thalassemia.

Ancestry

Thalassemias occur most often among people of Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern, Southern Asian, and African descent.

Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health.