Thalassemia

Mediterranean Anemia

Thalassemia (American English) (or thalassaemia in British English), also know as "Cooley's anemia", is an inherited disease of the red blood cells, classified as a hemoglobinopathy. The genetic defect results in synthesis of an abnormal hemoglobin molecule. The blood cells are vulnerable to mechanical injury and die easily. To survive, many people with thalassemia need blood transfusions at regular intervals. The disease's geographical association with the Mediterranean sea was responsible ...