Sickle Cell News December 8th to the 14th

By Sean Marshall

Interesting international news this week coming from India. According to The Times Of India, one of India's online news sites, it was reported that “Ahmed Patel, Rajya Sabha Member from Gujarat and political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi while speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday demanded action to control the sickle cell anemia in the country.” It may sound like a mouthful but what is going on is that a large government full of many people is finally demanding some sort of resolution to sickle cell disease.

It was explained that Ashmed said that “compared to other parts of the country spread of sickle cell disease is much higher and 34% tribal population is suffering from the disease . “ There were also quotes pulled form the article explaining "The disease is directly related to malnutrition for which immediate attention is needed.” There was an emphasis in the article for “a great need of pre-marriage counseling to prevent the spread." This was all early strategies from Indian politicians and isnt set in stone. What is important is that an effort is being put forth.

If you would like to see the article go here: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Patel-flays-govt-over-sickle/articleshow/45464740.cms

Other news this week includes an article reveling that the majority of newborns in the United States with sickle cell are surviving to adulthood. The article was centered around evidence presented in San Fransisico at the ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition that showed “Approximately 91% of newborns with sickle cell disease survived to age 25 years, although the mortality rate accelerated thereafter.”

Information included quotes from Timothy McCavit, MD, MS, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. In the article he was quoted saying “the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease,” estimated an average survival to age 44 years for men and 48 years for women with sickle cell anemia.

This was all explained by “data from 1,214 patients who were enrolled in the Dallas Newborn Cohort after they were identified as having sickle cell disease. Overall, the survival rate for the entire Dallas Newborn Cohort until age 25 years was 91.4%.”

Lastly it was shown that this study had first been conducted in the 1980's, this means that despite all the pain many people with sickle cell live with not everyone is fated with death when diagnosis. This gives hope to many especially considering most of the test subjects are still alive today.

If you would like to read the full article in detail click the link below: http://www.healio.com/hematology-oncology/hematology/news/online/%7B9b876b07-2e33-4be2-be7d-53c2ca0ed2e8%7D/majority-of-newborns-with-sickle-cell-disease-survived-to-adulthood

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