FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Newswise — Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that interferes with the red blood cells’ delivery of oxygen to the tissues of the body. Red blood cells affected by this disease look like a sickle or the letter “C,” rather than the disc-like form of healthy red blood cells. They are also sticky, sometimes sticking together and clogging up blood vessels, which can cause intense bodily pain. Other symptoms include anemia, jaundice, stroke, acute chest syndrome (when cells become sickled in the chest) and splenic sequestration (when sickled cells pool in the spleen).
The CDC estimates that approximately 100,000 people in the U.S. have sickle cell disease. The vast majority of these patients are Black or African American. In fact, 1 out of every 365 Black or African American babies born is diagnosed with sickle cell disease. For parents who each carry the sickle cell gene, there is a 25% chance of having a child born with the illness. There are several treatment options for sickle cell disease, including a type of bone marrow transplant developed at Johns Hopkins.
September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month. Johns Hopkins Medicine experts who specialize in sickle cell disease are available to speak with reporters about health equity issues related to sickle cell disease. Please reach out to Maura Kinney, our designated media contact, if you are interested in covering this issue.
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