Definition of thalassemia
: any of a group of inherited disorders of hemoglobin synthesis (such as Cooley's anemia) that are marked by mild to severe hypochromic and microcytic anemia, result from the partial or complete failure in production of one or more globin chains, and tend to occur especially in individuals of Mediterranean, African, or southeastern Asian ancestry —sometimes used with a prefix (such as alpha-, beta-, or delta-) to indicate the hemoglobin chain affected — see beta-thalassemia
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Recent Examples of thalassemia from the Web
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Alpha thalassemia occurs most often in people from Southeast Asia, China, the Middle East and Africa, according to the NLM.
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Without access to blood, thalassemia patients can experience critical anemia or even death.
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The strongest risk factors are liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV and thalassemia, a rare blood disorder.
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Stanford is also using gene therapy to target other diseases, such as sickle cell anemia and beta thalassemia, a blood disorder that reduces the production of hemoglobin.
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With a slight tweak, Qasim says, this gene therapy could be applied to other cancers, and even genetic diseases like thalassemia.
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Origin and Etymology of thalassemia
New Latin, from Greek thalassa sea + New Latin -emia
Medical Dictionary
thalassemia
Medical Definition of thalassemia
: any of a group of inherited hypochromic anemias and especially Cooley's anemia controlled by a series of allelic genes that cause reduction in or failure of synthesis of one of the globin chains making up hemoglobin and that tend to occur especially in individuals of Mediterranean, African, or southeastern Asian ancestry—sometimes used with a prefix (as alpha-, beta-, or delta-) to indicate the hemoglobin chain affected; called also Mediterranean anemia; see alpha-thalassemia, beta-thalassemia
Learn More about thalassemia
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See words that rhyme with thalassemia Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about thalassemia
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