Xechem International Inc. (fka XKEM)

[stocked3]

The Ask Nikki Article:



There's something that people with sickle cell disease need to know. SCD is a serious lifelong blood disorder1a that affects many African-Americans beginning during childhood.2

You might be wondering why I'm talking about sickle cell disease. Through my efforts to improve education and literacy, I've learned that loss of classroom time because of illness is the most common cause of poor school performance in children with sickle cell disease. What's more, many miss out on physical activities like sports because of challenges such as severe episodes of pain, dehydration or the time needed to receive regular blood transfusions needed to treat sickle cell disease.3 I want to do all I can to help educate patients and their families about sickle cell disease and serious complications like too much iron, also called iron overload, so they continue on a path for a bright future.

You may know that many sickle cell disease patients need regular blood transfusions2 to stay healthy. While blood transfusions4 can save lives, they can also cause iron to build up in the body. This can happen after only 10 blood transfusions,5 and continued transfusions over time can lead to dangerous levels of iron in the body. It's tricky because you don't always know you have too much iron — there aren't always tell tale signs — so patients don't realize they're at risk.6a

That's why I'm determined to get the message out that it's really important for children with sickle cell disease who get transfusions and their families to know about excess iron, and to talk to their doctor if they get blood transfusions and might be at risk.



Visit Askaboutiron.com to learn even more — knowledge is power. You can sign up to receive additional information or print out questions to ask your doctor to 'be sickle smart.'

SCD is the most common inherited blood disorder in the U.S.9 and affects one in 500 African Americans, and one in 1000 Hispanic Americans. In SCD, red blood cells become deformed and can block blood vessels1b. This causes pain, can damage tissues and organs, and can lead to stroke if the blockage occurs in the brain.7
Repeated blood transfusions are a standard treatment for some with SCD, and they help reduce the complications of the disease.4 Blood transfusions are used to treat pain crises — even prevent strokes,4 which are "brain attacks" that happen when part of the brain experiences a problem with blood flow.
One of the most serious complications that can result from regular blood transfusions is the build-up of too much iron in the body from as few as 10 blood transfusions.5
There aren't always tell tale signs that you might have iron overload, so people don't realize they're at risk. If undiagnosed and untreated, it can lead to damage to the heart, liver, and other organs.6b
The only effective therapy to remove the excess iron due to blood transfusions and prevent the complications of iron overload is a drug called an iron chelator — a substance that binds to iron in the body and helps remove it.8

For more information about iron overload and to sign up for free information, please go to AskAboutIron.com.


Click here to download and print a free version of the Be Sickle Smart: Ask Tiki about Iron tip sheet, or call 1-877-SCD-TIKI (723-8454) to request a copy.

1 National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health. What Is Sickle Cell Anemia? Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Sca/SCA_WhatIs.html
2 U.S. Department of Energy Biological and Environmental Research Program. Sickle Cell Anemia Disease Profile. Available at: http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/posters/chromosome/sca.shtml Accessed: March 30, 2006.
3 American Family Physician. Sickle Cell Disease in Childhood. Vol. 62/No. 5 (September 1, 2000) Available at: http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000901/1013.html
4 Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. http://www.sicklecelldisease.org/about_scd/index.phtml
5 Gabutti V, Piga A. Results of Long-Term Iron-Chelating Therapy. Acta Haematologica. 1996. 95:26-36
6 Kushner, JP, Porter JP, Olivieri NF. Secondary Iron Overload. Hematology. 2001 Jan 1:47-61.
7 National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health. What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Sickle Cell Anemia? Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Sca/SCA_SignsAndSymptoms.html Accessed: February 28, 2006.
8 Porter JP. A risk-benefit assessment of iron-chelation therapy. Drug Saf. 1997 Dec;17(6):407-21.
9 National Center for Biotechnology Information. "Anemia, Sickle Cell." Genes and Disease. Accessed: April 28, 2006.
Contact Us | Site Map

A Novartis Program. For U.S. Residents Only.

Use of website is governed by the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Copyright © 2006 Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. All Rights Reserved.