Long-term treatment with hydroxyurea reduces emergency department visits and days spent in the hospital for children with sickle cell anemia, the most common and usually the most severe form of sickle cell disease (SCD), a real-world study has found. Consistent benefits among pediatric patients given the approved…

Treatment with hydroxyurea reduced the incidence of severe or invasive infections by 60% among children in Uganda with sickle cell anemia, the most common and usually the most severe form of sickle cell disease, a recent study reports. “Our investigation provides powerful…

Good oral health is essential in people with sickle cell anemia (SCA), according to a new study from Saudi Arabia that found that several disease-causing bacteria species — including Enterobacteriaceae — were significantly more abundant in a group of patients with poorer dental health than…

People with sickle cell anemia are at a significantly higher risk of developing periodontitis, a serious gum disease, a study reported. In turn, periodontitis was associated with elevated levels of inflammation markers in patients and a three times greater chance of more than three painful vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) each year.

Siklos (hydroxyurea) is now approved in the U.S. to reduce the frequency of painful crises and lower the need for blood transfusions in adults with sickle cell anemia, the most common and usually the most severe form of sickle cell disease. The medication already was approved for…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted orphan drug status to olinciguat (IW-1701) as a potential treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD), Ironwood Pharmaceuticals announced. Evidence suggests that the symptoms of sickle cell disease may be associated with nitric oxide deficiency in the blood. Nitric oxide…

Patients with sickle-cell anemia have more eye blood flow resistance than those without the disease — a symptom closely linked to hemolysis, or rupture of red blood cells. This can lead to a better understanding of the disease as well as improved classification and care for sickle-cell patients. The Brazilian study, “Doppler velocimetry of…

Brazilian researchers suggest that a new clinically relevant subgroup of sickle cell disease (SCD) should be considered, based on hematological and biochemical parameters in patients with SCD. Determination of classical biomarkers and lipid parameters can contribute to a better definition of this complex disease and improve patient’s clinical care, they concluded. Their…

A recent study suggests that sickle cell anemia (SCA) can be detected by a test using samples collected from inside the mouth of patients. This test allows for the detection of micronucleus, a deficient-looking cell nucleus that shows up in cells from a defective process of cell multiplication. The study,…

Researchers in Brazil failed to find any genetic determinants for incidents of stroke in children with sickle cell disease (SCD), although their findings did suggest that SCD boys and those with sickle cell anemia were most at risk. The study, “Genetic determinants and stroke in children with sickle cell…