Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency is a hereditary (genetic) condition in which red blood cells break down when the body is exposed to certain drugs, certain foods, or the stress of a bacterial or viral infection. G-6-PD occurs most often in males and in people of African, Asian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean decent. 

In affected individuals, a defect in an enzyme called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase causes red blood cells to break down prematurely. This destruction of red blood cells is called hemolysis. As red blood cells are destroyed faster than the body can replace them, known medically as hemolytic anemia, the symptoms patients experience include paleness, shortness of breath, jaundice, fatigue and rapid heart rate.

G-6-PD is fairly easy to control. Treatment may involve medicines to treat an infection, stopping any drugs that are causing red blood cell destruction, and in some cases, transfusions.

Rarely, kidney failure or death may occur following a severe hemolytic event.

G6PD deficiency occurs when a person is missing or doesn't have enough of an enzyme called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, which helps red blood cells work properly.

Too little G6PD leads to the destruction of red blood cells. This process is called hemolysis. When this process is actively occurring, it is called a hemolytic episode. The episodes are usually brief, because the body continues to produce new red blood cells, which have normal activity.

Red blood cell destruction can be triggered by infections, severe stress, certain foods (such as fava beans), and certain drugs, including:

• Antimalarial drugs
• Aspirin
• Nitrofurantoin
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Quinidine
• Quinine
• Sulfa drugs

Other chemicals, such as those in mothballs, can also trigger an episode.

In the United States, G6PD deficiency is more common among blacks than whites. Men are more likely to have this disorder than women.

You are more likely to develop this condition if you:

• Are African American
• Are of Middle Eastern decent, particularly Kurdish or Sephardic Jewish
• Are male
• Have a family history of the deficiency

A form of this disorder is common in whites of Mediterranean descent. This form is also associated with acute episodes of hemolysis. Episodes are longer and more severe than in the other types of the disorder.

See your doctor if you develop sudden fatigue, pale or yellow skin, dark urine, or shortness of breath, especially after an infection or certain foods or medicines. Ask your pharmacist which drugs and foods to avoid.