sickle | Common News Update

Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Carrying the sickle cell trait does not play a significant role in the increased risk for coronary heart disease among African Americans, a study published Tuesday by JAMA Network Open found. Although African Americans are twice as likely to die from heart disease than White people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those carrying the sickle cell trait have only a 3% higher risk for heart problems than those who don't, the new data showed. Advertisement It's likely that other health problems, such as higher rates of high blood pressure and diabetes, contribute more to heart disease risk among African Americans than sickle cell, the researchers said. "We don't see sickle cell trait as significant risk factor by itself," study co-author Dr. Hy...

FRIDAY, July 7, 2017 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the first new drug for sickle cell disease in nearly two decades.Endari, or L-glutamine oral powder, helps reduce severe complications associated with the blood disorder, the agency said.Sickle cell disease is an inherited disorder in which the red blood cells are shaped like a sickle, which limits the flow of vital oxygen to organs and tissues. In turn, this triggers severe pain and organ damage. Approximately 100,000 Americans, mostly minorities, have sickle cell disease, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health."Endari is the first treatment approved for patients with sickle cell disease in almost 20 years," said Dr. Richard Pazdur, acting director of the Office of Hematology and Oncology Product...

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Study: Sickle cell trait does not increase heart disease risk in African Americans

New drug for sickle cell disease approved by FDA