Ghana Study: Sickle Cell Trait May Mask Diabetes Risk

A study conducted by Ghanaian researchers and presented at ADLM 2026 in Anaheim, California, reveals that individuals with sickle cell trait may be at risk of undiagnosed prediabetes or diabetes due to inaccuracies in blood-sugar testing. The study found that immunoturbidimetry, a common method for measuring HbA1c, produced significantly lower results in patients with sickle cell trait compared to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Dr. Elikem Kumahor, the lead author and a specialist laboratory physician at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, noted that this discrepancy could lead to misclassification of blood sugar levels, particularly concerning in regions like Ghana, where approximately 30% of the population carries sickle cell trait. The study analyzed 1,283 HbA1c tests from adults at a tertiary hospital in Accra during January and February 2026, revealing that only 11.1% of those with sickle cell trait were classified as prediabetic using immunoturbidimetry, compared to 34.5% with HPLC.

Additionally, none were classified as diabetic with immunoturbidimetry, while HPLC identified 4%.