In a society where reality television is king, passing judgment is easier than ever. Contestants in competitions such as “Dancing with the Stars” and “American Idol” are eager to hear the judges’ remarks in hopes of advancing to the next round. On shows like “Judge Judy,” litigants demand arbitration to…

Many women carrying hemophilia-related mutations are not receiving the medical attention they need, according to a large-scale multinational study. Despite being treated in established healthcare systems, these women, often referred to as hemophilia carriers, frequently remain undiagnosed and excluded from official patient registries. Researchers found that a lack…

Some years ago, when my youngest son, “MacDonald the Younger,” was about 7, he had an internal bleed into his right knee just before Thanksgiving. I was scheduled to lead a “Thanks Living” service that Tuesday, but we quickly realized we would be celebrating the holiday in a hospital…

Iron deficiency has always been a part of my life as a woman with the bleeding disorders hemophilia B and von Willebrand disease. Iron is essential for your body to function, I have learned. One cause of iron deficiency is bleeding. When I am anemic, or my…

Immunoadsorption, or the selective removal of antibodies from the blood, might prove useful as an add-on treatment for patients with acquired hemophilia, according to a recent study. If confirmed, this finding could lead to better treatment for life-threatening bleeds, delayed treatment responses, and adverse responses to immunosuppressive therapy among…

I gaze at the glorious sunrise as I take off in my red RAV4. On this particular trip I plan to make my way down from my home in Northern California to Los Angeles. My daughter and I will most likely push through the 12+ hour drive in…

The hemophilia B treatment Rebinyn is available in the United States, its maker Novo Nordisk reports. Rebinyn, which is administered intravenously, replaces the blood clotting factor IX that is missing in the disease. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved it in May 2017 to control bleeding episodes and manage bleeding…

There are moments when dealing with hemophilia proves overwhelming and we lose ourselves in the fight to overcome the pain of breakthrough bleeding. My youngest son, affectionately called “MacDonald the Younger,” dealt with two target joints, or places where bleeding episodes occur repeatedly, prior to his current treatment. His…

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…