Article Highlight: Sickle Cell Disease in The New York Times

Office of the Director - July 1, 2011

An article in yesterday's New York Times profiles a young woman in Florida who is living with sickle cell disease and discusses the treatment advances that have been made in the past few decades, including the use of penicillin to prevent infection, transcranial Doppler to reduce the risk of stroke, hydroxyurea to reduce crises and complications, and stem cell transplant as a cure for some. All of the basic and clinical research demonstrating the effectiveness of these interventions has been supported by the NHLBI.

Among those quoted in the article is Dr. Lanetta B. Jordan, a member of the NHLBI advisory council, chief medical officer for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, and a dedicated advocate for patients and research to improve the lives of affected people. A sidebar features two open NHLBI clinical trials.

The excellent patient information page linked from the article is provided by the NHLBI's sister agency, HRSA.

Making Sickle Cell Disease a Manageable Illness by Carolyn Sayre