Thalassemia

Summary

Thalassemias are inherited blood disorders. If you have one, your body makes fewer healthy red blood cells and less hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a protein that carries oxygen to the body. That leads to anemia. Thalassemias occur most often among people of Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern, Southern Asian, and African descent.

Thalassemias can be mild or severe. Some people have no symptoms or mild anemia. The most common severe type in the United States is called Cooley’s anemia. It usually appears during the first two years of life. People with it may have severe anemia, slowed growth and delayed puberty, and problems with the spleen, liver, heart, or bones.

Doctors diagnose thalassemias using blood tests. Treatments include blood transfusions and treatment to remove excess iron from the body. If you have mild symptoms or no symptoms, you may not need treatment. In some severe cases, you may need a bone marrow transplant.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Specifics

• About Thalassemia Cooley’s Anemia Foundation

Start Here

• About Thalassemia National Human Genome Research Institute
• Thalassemia Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• What Is Thalassemia? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• What Is Thalassemia? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Children

• Alpha Thalassemia (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
• Beta Thalassemia (For Parents) Nemours Foundation

Genetics

• Alpha thalassemia X-linked intellectual disability syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
• Alpha thalassemia: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
• Beta thalassemia: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: beta-Thalassemia National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Thalassemia National Institutes of Health

Living With

• Healthy Living with Thalassemia Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Real Stories from People Living with Thalassemia Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Diagnosis and Tests

• Hemoglobin Electrophoresis National Library of Medicine

Encyclopedia

• Hemoglobinuria test Medical Encyclopedia
• Osmotic fragility test Medical Encyclopedia

Treatments and Therapies

• Iron Chelation Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation
• Thalassemia: Complications and Treatment Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Treatments for Blood Disorders National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Find an Expert

• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
• Thalassemia Care Centers Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Journal Articles

• Thalassemia

Patient Handouts

• Thalassemia Medical Encyclopedia