Vitamin D deficiency in children and adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD) was consistently associated with worse clinical and laboratory outcomes, including more frequent pain crises and hospitalizations, a review of published studies found. The 12 studies evaluated also linked low vitamin D levels to complications affecting the bones,…
Discussion
Is sickle cell disease (SCD) a blessing or a curse? I came across this question on social media a few days ago. As I prepare to turn 40, my answer, shaped by four decades of living with SCD, is that, to me, it is neither. It has become part…
Discussion
I believe one of the most important things you can do, either as a sickle cell disease caregiver or a person with the disease, is to learn what can trigger a vaso-occlusive pain crisis. It can be nearly anything, both internal or external. Two of the most common triggers…
Discussion
Blocking the activity of a protein called BACH2 may be a valuable strategy for treating sickle cell disease (SCD) and related blood disorders, a study shows. Researchers found that suppressing BACH2 could increase the production of fetal hemoglobin (HbF). Increasing HbF levels is an established approach for SCD…
Discussion
Recently, I’ve been writing more scientific articles, and for some of that research, I’ve been going back through scientific papers and looking at their references. One name I came across was my former doctor, Swee Lay Thein. It made me stop and think about how much she influenced the…
Becoming educated and informed about sickle cell disease is a good first step. Here you’ll find general information about the disease, including diagnosis, symptoms, and causes.
It helps to know others have been where you are now. Here’s a collection of our columnists’ words of wisdom to help you along on your sickle cell disease journey.
A stem cell transplant is the only potential cure for sickle cell disease, but there are a variety of other treatment approaches. Here you can find more information about current treatments as well as experimental therapies in the pipeline.
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