Blood cells need a protein called hemoglobin to be able to transport oxygen throughout the body. There are a variety of genetic disorders that can affect hemoglobin, including different types of hereditary anemias and other blood disorders known...
Beta thalassemia is a condition in which an individual inherits defective copies of one or both of the two genes coding for the two subunits of beta globulin, a component of the hemoglobin in red blood cells. People with this genetic disorder may...
Thalassemia is a genetic disorder of hemoglobin production. Red blood cells contain the hemoglobin that delivers oxygen to your body cells. This includes muscle cells and bones. Thalassemia can involve either a problem with the alpha or beta...
Thalassemia is a genetic disorder of the red blood cells. There are two different forms of thalassemia, each of which has mild to major forms. Alpha thalassemia occurs when one or more of the four genes that produce the alpha globin protein chain...
Red blood cells contain a protein called hemoglobin, which allows them to carry oxygen to tissues. Mutations in hemoglobin, which results in a condition known as thalassemia, cause red blood cells to be broken down more quickly and made more...
Thalassemia is not one specific disease but a group of inherited blood disorders. When you have thalassemia, your body makes an abnormal form of the protein hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is found in red blood cells and carries oxygen throughout the body....
Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that causes an abnormal form of a protein known as hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. Thalassemia results in excessive destruction of red...
The inherited blood disorder thalassemia can range in severity from mild to severe. Mild cases, usually caused by a single defect inherited from only one parent that affects one of the genes controlling the production of alpha or beta globulin,...
Thalassemia refers to a type of blood disorder associated with decreased red blood cells and hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying pigment in blood. Symptoms of thalassemia include shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, irritability and a swollen...
Red blood cells carry oxygen, an essential element for life, to every cell in your body. A decrease in the number of healthy red blood cells, called anemia, can have serious health consequences. Anemia can be an inherited condition caused by...
Fifth disease is a common childhood viral infection caused by human parvovirus B-19. It is also known as erythema infectiousum or "slapped cheek disease" because the facial rash resembles slap marks. Fifth disease is a mild airborne illness that...
Thalassemia is a type of genetic disorder that affects red blood cells. The body normally produces these cells, which carry a protein called hemoglobin that's responsible for transporting oxygen molecules. People with thalassemia have a genetic...
Red blood cells make up a portion of blood. A normal red blood count is 13.8 to 17.2 grams per deciliter; women have a lower red blood count, between 12.1 and 15.1gm/dL, according to Medline Plus, a publication of the National Institutes of...
Thalassemia, a blood disorder is characterized by an imbalance in the production of haemoglobin that serves to transport oxygen to all parts of the body. The standard treatments for thalassemia include blood transfusion and stem cell...
Thalassemia is an inherited disease in which the body makes abnormal hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is composed of two alpha and two beta subunits. A deficiency in either type is abnormal and leads to thalassemia. The altered hemoglobin is produced...
Thalassemia is a hereditary condition that affects the health of your red blood cells. This disorder results in fewer red blood cells and a decrease in hemoglobin, the substance that allows these cells to transport oxygen throughout your body....
Some genetic diseases, especially sickle cell anemia, occur at a higher frequency in African Americans when compared to other populations. Genetic testing for these disorders is available so that couples can receive testing before they decide to...
Anemia is the medical term for a low red blood cell count. The bone marrow produces red blood cells (RBCs), which normally remain in the circulation for approximately three months. Diseases that decrease RBC production or shorten their lifespan in...
Thalassemia minor is an inherited disorder characterized by a low concentration of hemoglobin and fewer red blood cells than normal. Most people with thalassemia minor have normal or even elevated iron stores, especially if they have received...
Beta thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder characterized by the abnormal production of a blood protein called hemoglobin. This condition is caused a mutation within the gene that is responsible for the healthy production of hemoglobin. In...
Genetic diseases or disorders are caused by mutations or changes in the number of chromosomes or genes. This genetic information is passed down through the generations from parents to children. Sometimes parents are only the carrier for the...
Most blood diseases (hematological diseases) should be thought of as diseases that can be controlled rather than diseases that can be cured. There are reports of long-term remission in some leukemia patients, as well as a small percentage of...
Recognizing that you’re anemic can be challenging. Symptoms are often subtle or vary with the underlying cause. At the same time, your body is capable of adjusting amazingly well to slowly developing anemia to further mask its signs. Anemia...
L-carnitine is an amino acid that metabolizes fat into energy. In healthy people, the body maintains sufficient supply of L-carnitine from endogenous biosynthesis from the amino acids lysine and methionine, dietary sources and reabsorption of the...
Thalassemia, also called Mediterranean anemia, is a blood disorder. This disorder is typically inherited and means there are smaller amounts of hemoglobin and red blood cells in the body than normal, says the Mayo Clinic. Lower amounts of...
Sickle cell disease is a genetic condition that affects red blood cells. The disease causes red blood cells to contain an abnormal type of hemoglobin and have a sickle shape, which can prevent the cells from flowing smoothly through small blood...
Iron overload occurs when there is too much iron in the body. The body has no way to get rid of excess iron. When iron levels exceed the storage capacity of blood, iron deposits begin to appear in the heart, liver, pancreas, joints and...
Ascorbic acid is another name for vitamin C, an important vitamin your body uses to keep your bones, muscles and blood vessels healthy. As a supplement, ascorbic acid is most commonly used to treat or prevent the common cold, according to...
In the 2005 edition of "Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease," U.S. Department of Agriculture scientist Richard J. Wood, Ph.D. explains that all living organisms, including humans, require iron. Although iron is abundant on Earth, Wood says most...
