With the holiday season fast approaching, many of us are clamoring to buy gifts for the people we hold dear. But it can be hard to find gifts even for those closest to us. This is especially true if they’re easily satisfied or, on the other end of the spectrum,…

Hemophilia is a rare bleeding disorder. It leads to uncontrolled bleeding, hospitalizations, doctor visits, and the need for expensive medications. Bleeds result in costly absences from work and school. Receiving care at a federally funded hemophilia treatment center (HTC) is essential. Most hematologists focus on blood cancers or…

Dear Hemophilia Dad, I am writing to you today to protect the health of your beloved daughter. Trust me, I know the struggles you encounter daily. In my mind, you are a superhero. Your daughter is at risk for hemophilia, too. She is a carrier and needs testing…

I’ve always had a hard time handling disappointment. I grew up labeled a high achiever and was accustomed to meeting high expectations. I feared disappointing other people, or feeling that my best efforts just weren’t enough. As a result, I became sensitive to disappointment, rejection, and failure — a fearsome…

Adults with moderate-to-severe hemophilia engage in less physical activity and have reduced physical fitness relative to healthy adults, according to a recent study. Data also indicated these patients had more indicators of abdominal fat accumulation and more often had high blood pressure than healthy people, which could overall reflect…

My husband, Jared, had a knee bleed last week. The moment he felt the familiar twinge in his joint, he performed his usual treatment regimen: a factor infusion and bed rest. We thought we’d simply wait it out without doing anything special besides resting the injury…

I have von Willebrand disease (VWD) and hemophilia B, a less common form of hemophilia that arises when a blood-clotting protein called factor IX is missing or deficient. Hemophilia is often thought of as a condition that only affects men, but women can and do have it, too.

Patients with moderate to severe hemophilia A who switched to Kovaltry (octocog alfa) showed no worsening of their annual bleeding rate, according to real-world data from a Phase 4 study. Adhering to the therapy remained high and patients reported high treatment satisfaction. Overall, the study “confirms and extends clinical trial…

Hurricane Ian, which battered the southeastern United States and the Caribbean in late September and early October, nearly destroyed the home of a client of mine. She compares the damage to a violent tornado combined with a devastating flood. Parts of her home were gutted. In the aftermath, she…

One-month treatment with Hemlibra (emicizumab) and an immunosuppressive medication were effective for patients with acquired hemophilia at rapidly controlling bleeding and reducing the use of other therapies, a single-center study shows. The researchers also noted that using less toxic immunosuppressive agents such as rituximab was effective at blocking…