Blood Test
THE WEEK|February 24, 2019

Scientists are working on the possibilities of treating thalassaemia with gene editing.

Pooja Biraia Jaiswal
Blood Test

VARUN AHUJA, in faded blue denims, a jacket and brown sports shoes, sits patiently at the edge of bed number 1 in the second-floor ward of Mumbai's S.L. Raheja Fortis Hospital's Thalassemia Centre, texting on his phone. He has a scrawny physique, bright eyes, a well-groomed beard and hair that is neatly pulled back with gel. At first, it seems as if he is a visitor, but then a nurse enters the room with two bags of blood, sets them up on the stand next to his bed, asks him to extend his arm and injects the IV drip. The blood begins to flow into his veins. This happens twice a month.

Ahuja is a patient of beta thalassaemia, a genetic blood disorder in which the body's capacity to produce haemoglobin is severely restricted. This leads to a severe lack of oxygen in many parts of the body and the patient requires constant replenishment of red blood cells to keep him alive. Ahuja was diagnosed with it when he was all of six months.

Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin February 24, 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin February 24, 2019 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

THE WEEK DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
At What Ages Do People Feel Most Lonely?
THE WEEK India

At What Ages Do People Feel Most Lonely?

ACCORDING TO A US STUDY PUBLISHED in the journal Psychological Science, loneliness follows a U-shaped pattern in adulthood people are loneliest during younger and older adulthood, and least lonely in middle age.

time-read
1 min  |
June 02, 2024
How Anger Can Hurt Your Heart
THE WEEK India

How Anger Can Hurt Your Heart

Getting angry can constrict blood vessels and increase a person's risk of developing heart in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

time-read
1 min  |
June 02, 2024
Winner in a wheelchair
THE WEEK India

Winner in a wheelchair

Cerebral palsy could not stop Sarika from achieving her dream of becoming a civil servant

time-read
3 dak  |
June 02, 2024
BONE SUPREMACY
THE WEEK India

BONE SUPREMACY

Taking good care of your bones will take a big load off your old age

time-read
7 dak  |
June 02, 2024
MAMMOGRAM RECOMMENDED FROM AGE 40
THE WEEK India

MAMMOGRAM RECOMMENDED FROM AGE 40

THE US PREVENTIVE SERVICES TASK FORCE (USPSTF) has issued new recommendations for all women to start getting mammograms every other year beginning at age 40 and continuing through age 74.

time-read
1 min  |
June 02, 2024
TREATING GUM DISEASE CAN HELP PREVENT AFib RECURRENCE
THE WEEK India

TREATING GUM DISEASE CAN HELP PREVENT AFib RECURRENCE

PATIENTS WHO HAD THEIR GUM DISEASE treated following treatment for atrial fibrillation (AFib), or irregular heartbeat, are significantly less likely to suffer AFib recurrence, according to Japanese research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

time-read
1 min  |
June 02, 2024
LIFT OR STAIRS? ALWAYS CHOOSE STAIRS
THE WEEK India

LIFT OR STAIRS? ALWAYS CHOOSE STAIRS

ACCORDING TO A STUDY PRESENTED AT ESC Preventive Cardiology 2024, climbing stairs is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and death.

time-read
1 min  |
June 02, 2024
ESKETAMINE INJECTION MAY REDUCE RISK OF POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION
THE WEEK India

ESKETAMINE INJECTION MAY REDUCE RISK OF POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION

A SINGLE LOW DOSE INJECTION of esketamine given right after childbirth can reduce the risk of major postpartum depression by about three quarters, finds a US study published in The BMJ.

time-read
1 min  |
June 02, 2024
Nancy, how about Kanhaiya?
THE WEEK India

Nancy, how about Kanhaiya?

I have been following Nancy Tyagi on Instagram for over a year.

time-read
2 dak  |
June 02, 2024
Cannes can do
THE WEEK India

Cannes can do

Never mind that India is witnessing a massive general election, perhaps one of the dirtiest it has ever witnessed.

time-read
2 dak  |
June 02, 2024