Feature Articles for Patients
NAAC publishes feature articles for patients and consumers to help them learn about anemia. Each article is reviewed and approved by our anemia experts to help you prevent and manage anemia for yourself or a loved one. Have a comment or suggestion? We'd love to hear what you thought. Feel free to contact us about an article you just read or to suggest a topic for a future article.
Oct 2009
October 28, 2009
With growing concern about this year’s flu season due to the spread of the H1N1 virus, many patients may be curious if having anemia can put them at a higher risk for complications from the flu or if they should be receiving a vaccination. This article recommends some steps you can take to prepare for flu season if you have anemia and also describes the role chronic illnesses play in causing anemia and potentially leading to serious complications from a viral infection.August 20, 2009
New drugs are an important part of today’s healthcare, making millions of peoples lives better every day. For over 90 years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been responsible for protecting the public health, by ensuring that all new drugs – prescription and nonprescription – are safe and effective for patients. This article describes the FDA’s approval process which requires drug manufacturer to prove the safety and effectiveness of their drugs through many rounds of clinical trials before becoming widely available to patients.
April 8, 2009
Medications that increase the production of red blood cells, called erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), are one of the most common drugs used to treat anemia. When the kidneys cannot make enough natural erythropoietin, your doctor may prescribe an ESA. Synthetic ESA drugs act like the natural erythropoietin, and are given to produce more red blood cells and raise hemoglobin levels. Currently there are two ESA drugs available in the United States to treat anemia - erythropoietin alfa and darbepoetin alfa - which have been administered successfully to millions of patients worldwide.
March 11, 2009
Diabetes is a major health problem, affecting approximately 20.8 million people in the United States. For one-quarter of these patients, anemia is a common concern that can seriously affect their health and well-being. Fortunately, anemia can be treated, and benefits such as increased energy, activity level and improved quality of life can be achieved. Working together, doctors and patients can effectively control anemia through medication and lifestyle changes.
Last Updated: October 28, 2009
