Frequently asked question: What is the life expectancy of someone with sickle cell disease?

In general, life expectancy of people with sickle cell disease is shorter than of people who do not have the disease. In the Netherlands at this moment life expectancy of patients with homozygote HbSS sickle cell disease is between 40 and 50 years. For patients with a compound heterozygote form, life expectancy is 20 years higher, lying between 60 and 70 years.
The expectation is, however, that early diagnosis through neonatal screening, increased knowledge and guidance on the disease, regular and careful monitoring by (pediatric) hematologists who specialize in sickle cell disease, and good results of medication will lead to a clear rise in life expectancy over the coming years.

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Frequently asked question: What is the life expectancy of someone with sickle cell disease?

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