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Sickle Cell Anemia |
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Sickle-cell disease is a genetic disorder in which red blood cells may change shape under certain circumstances. This causes the cells to become stuck in capillaries which deprives the downstream tissues of oxygen and causes ischemia and infarction. The disease usually occurs in periodic painful attacks, eventually leading to damage of internal organs, stroke, or anemia, and usually resulting in decreased lifespan. It is common in people from countries with a high incidence of malaria, and especially in West Africa, or in descendents from those people.
The disease was originally called sickle-cell anemia but this name has fallen out of favor in medical contexts because anemia is not the only symptom of the disease.
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