Some inspectors say that the sickle cell trait causes sudden death.They are wrong

The· New arrival York Times Recently important implementation A study revealing the use of sickle cell traits (SCT) As a concealment of the death of a black man by police in custody. Newspapers reported that in the last 25 years, inspectors, law enforcement officers, or defendants’ advocates have discovered 47 cases that cited their characteristics as the cause or major cause of death in black detention. Fifteen of them have occurred since 2015. As a hematologist specializing in both SCT and sickle cell disease, he highlights the disturbing information revealed in this study, including the attribution of SCT as a causative factor in the death of individuals “ravaged” by police. We recognize the importance of that.

SCT Benign genetic statusIt is not a disease and has nothing to do with a decrease in life expectancy such as sickle cell disease. SCT does not cause “sickle cell disease,” “cardiac hypertrophy,” or “positional asphyxia,” which are cited in some cases. In the original work published by Graham Sergeant, Biting erythrocytosis (((3rd edition), The authors state that in people with SCT, “the morbidity study did not show any difference in the age, duration, or pattern of hospitalization.” [people with] SCT compared to normal control. SCT is also very GeneralAn estimated 3 million Americans and hundreds of millions of people around the world have SCTs, most of whom live a normal lifespan without SCT-related adverse health events.

The case of sudden death in an SCT patient is a rare exception rather than a rule. Earlier reports of these cases are in the context of unusual exertion, such as old-fashioned military basic training and intensive exercise conditioning.Recent studies published in New England Journal of Medicine Including data from more than 47,000 U.S. Army black soldiers from 2011 to 2014, There is no increased risk of sudden death The number of soldiers with SCT compared to those without SCT.

Patients with SCT are well aware of the risk of rhabdomyolysis. This is a condition of severe muscle destruction that can cause renal failure, NEJM Studies have shown that this risk was no greater than the risk of rhabdomyolysis associated with obesity, tobacco use, or statin drug use. on the contrary, Multiple studies People with SCT have been shown to be able to tolerate moderate exercise and show no apparent differences in metabolic breakdown products, oxygen exchange, or cardiopulmonary function.

In the light of sound scientific research and the opinion of expert hematologists, it is clear that SCT is not associated with an increased risk of sudden death. The American Society of Hematology, the world’s largest hematology society, which is made up of renowned sickle cell experts, recently response To Times Investigation confirms that SCT has no medical benefit to explain death in custody.

It is equally clear that the risk of death for black men interacting with police has increased significantly. A report Estimates published by the National Academy of Sciences in 2019 1 in 1,000 black men killed by police.. Black men are 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police for the rest of their lives than white men. Unfortunately, official data on the number of deaths in police detention is available: 2014 Death Reporting Act in Detention..

If reported by Times, No statistics are needed to emphasize explicit police atrocities and ignore human life and security. In many reported cases, police deployed stun guns and taser guns, chasing men who were justly afraid of their lives, kneeling around their necks, and beating people with batons. Abuses have been carried out at night by being covered in forests, turning off body cameras, and withholding footage, so the essence of their atrocities may not be apparent.

The medical field itself is shameful history Creating and perpetuating a pseudoscience of race-based physiological differences and conducting unethical research. Therefore, our responsibilities as doctors publicly condemn the use of these outdated and racist concepts used to provide compensation for the abuse and murder of black men and women by police. That is. We must not allow people to hide the fact that these men died very plausibly as a result of the use of excessive force.

The inspector general Manners And Cause Of death. We must request that these inspectors stop perpetuating false information about the SCT. In almost all of these cases, it is neither the cause of death nor the cause of death. We call on inspectors to assess their own prejudices and conflicts of interest and stop misuse of medicine and science that could exempt police from racist atrocities in black men. To clarify, reducing bias and removing medical myths from the inspector general’s assessment of the death of a black man in police detention is an important factor in holding police accountable.

Following the first anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, the accusation is more urgent than ever.President Joe Biden was asking Congress to pass HR7120 George Floyd Justice in Police Law..It’s currently stuck in the Senate and we need to call us Congressman Act to pass this bill. As Americans, we all want better police with improved accountability, including the police encountering other Americans at the SCT.

It is inaccurate and rude to blame the deaths of 47 black men on the SCT as a cause rather than an association. It is clear that it was not a variant of the beta hemoglobin gene (HBB), But the melanin receptor gene (MCR1), That was the cause of the death of these men. More simply, the genetic feature that contributed most to the death of these men was clearly their skin color, not the content of their red blood cells.