Product Description
Sickle-cell disease is a life-long blood disorder characterized by red blood cells that assume an abnormal, rigid, sickle shape. Life expectancy is shortened, with studies reporting an average life expectancy of 42 and 48 years for males and females, respectively. Sickle-cell disease, usually presenting in childhood, occurs more commonly in people (or their descendants) from parts of tropical and sub-tropical regions where malaria is or was common. The prevalence of the disease in the United States is approximately 1 in 5,000, mostly affecting African Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health. |
