Sickle Cell Anemia Info Box

· Prenatal diagnoses allow families to find out early on whether their child will have sickle cell disease.

· All newborns in Virginia are screened for sickle cell disease. Newborn Screening is offered to families who do not have the option of prenatal diagnoses. They will find out very soon after birth.

· Genetic Counseling Services will help couples and families carrying the sickle cell trait better understand their risk when they do decide to have children.

· Professional Education and Training teaches parents about the disease and what serious complications to look for with their children.

Research

Dr. Lloyd says that everyone has the adult gene, Hemoglobin A or S, but everyone’s cell also produces Hb F at the embryo or fetus stage. Hb F is shut off two months after birth and the adult hemoglobin becomes active. This is the time when babies are treated with penicillin. Recent research has found that if Hb F can be reactivated it can serve as a possible treatment. If both Hb F and Hb S are present then cells won’t sickle and there will be no need for treatment.

Sicke Cell Anemia

Blue eyes, brown curly hair, cleft-chin, and hemoglobin A/S are traits that make a person normal and a carrier of the sickle cell trait. Blues eyes, brown curly hair, cleft-chin, and hemoglobin S/S means a person has sickle cell Anemia.

What is sickle cell anemia? Dr. Joyce Lloyd, a research professor in the VCU Human and Molecular Genetics Department says sickle cell disease is a genetic mutation of the red blood cells. It occurs when hemoglobin within the red blood cells fail to function normally. Hemoglobin (Hb) is what makes the red blood cells red. It is made up of protein and iron.

In a normal red blood cell the hemoglobin flows freely in a circular motion forming the round shape. Abnormal hemoglobin sticks together and stretches the cell out. The cells become rigid and curves into sickle-like shape. This shape makes it difficult for cells to pass through small blood vessels. They become clogged preventing oxygen and nutrients in the blood from reaching organs and tissues.

Dr. Joyce Lloyd says that a child is diagnosed with sickle cell disease when they inherit the hemoglobin S trait from both parents. When a mother and father both have the sickle cell trait there is a 25 percent chance that their child will have sickle cell disease.

The parents of a child with sickle cell anemia do not have the disease. They are healthy and would just be considered carriers of the trait because there is only a small dose of sickle cell, not enough to change the shape of the cell. Dr. Lloyd explains that their genotype would be made up of hemoglobin A, the normal adult hemoglobin, and hemoglobin S or C, which are sickle cell traits.

Health officials say people who carry the sickle cell trait are said to be at an advantage because their immune system can resist diseases such as Malaria.

“In a country where Malaria is rampant, it is better to be hemoglobin A/S than hemoglobin A/A,” says Dr. Lloyd.

According to the Virginia Department of Health’s Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Program sickle cell is one of the most common genetic disorders in the United States affecting mostly African Americans. It is also found in people from South and Central America, the Middle East, India, Italy, Greece and Turkey.

In Virginia, one in 325 babies born to African-American parents is affected by Sickle Cell Disease. That is 13 percent higher than the national average. It is estimated that more than 155,000 Virginian's have sickle cell trait. It is estimated that more than 4,000 Virginian's are living with Sickle Cell Disease.

People with Sickle cell anemia can suffer from many severe complications. Because the crescent shaped cells can block the flow of blood and oxygen anywhere in the body. Jean Shipman, Program Manager for the Sickle Cell Anemia Awareness Program says that people can suffer from extreme pain from where ever the blood is not flowing. In the circulatory system, if blood stops flowing to the brain, strokes are likely to happen.

“We have young people before there’re four years of age that have had strokes, sickle related strokes,” says Shipman.

Some people experience a breakdown of their major joints, tissue damage and organ damage.

A young woman, Jane, shares her personal story about living with sickle cell anemia on Revolution Health, a website dedicated to different diseases and conditions.

“I was born with sickle cell anemia…Sometimes it can be just downright hard growing up wanting play with your friends and go outside but didn't understand why you just couldn’t, but as you get older you know that you had a lot of hospital visits, stayed in pain then you do research for yourself and discover that sickle cell anemia is your problem.”

It is debatable whether there is a cure for Sickle Cell Anemia. Shipman says yes there is a cure. Bone marrow transplants are the cure for sickle cell disease. But there are consequences to this procedure and because of it Dr. Lloyd says it is a risk.

“If I had to give a short answer, no, not now. It is treatable, but it is not curable.”

Bone marrow transplants are difficult because donors and matches are rare. Also side effects can cause the immune system to react negatively, says Dr. Lloyd.

There are a number of treatments and services provided to help improve the life expectancy of people with sickle cell disease. By two months of age Newborns are treated with Penicillin. Penicillin is one of the key treatments to help fight off infections, says Shipman.

White blood cells, antibodies for infections, are not able to pass once arteries become blocked, so when people with sickle cells get sick their bodies have a difficult time fighting infections. Shipman also mentions Hydroxyurea, an anti-sickling drug that helps the body maintain fetal hemoglobin. It reduces red blood cells from sickling as much. Hydroxyurea is only used on adults.

The sickle cell disease may seem rare to many people, but it is very common, especially in the African American community. A cure is in the works, treatment is saving lives, but the best thing you can do is educate yourself on this disease and become aware.

To find out more information about Sickle Cell Anemia visit the Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Program on the Virginia Department of Health website.

ART ON CAMPUS

Truth About Acne

Richmond, Va. - Pinocchio’s nose grows bigger each time he lies. You grow a pimple each time you up in size.

What is the difference? Pinocchio, a cartoon character, can prevent his lies and his nose from growing so big. However, humans aren’t so lucky, especially when fighting facial acne.

Kyoni Thomas, a VCU student has had acne for years. She thinks beverages and foods triggered her acne.

“I stopped drinking soda and acidic stuff,” said Thomas.

Students such as Thomas may be surprised to learn there is no real or specific cause to acne.

Brenda King, a registered nurse at the MCV Department of Dermatology, says hormonal imbalances in the body are leading factors in acne. She explained that most adolescents experience acne for the first time during puberty when their bodies encounter estrogen and testosterone surges.

Nicole Gordon, 22, a senior at VCU, says she first experienced acne when she was about 12 years old.

“It started off as just a few breakouts on my cheeks and around my chin area,” said Gordon.

Rather than seek a dermatologist, Gordon instead tried Clinique, Proactive and over-the-counter products but none of them helped. As she matured, she started to see her acne fade away.

“Over time they just stopped coming, I was getting fewer breakouts…it gradually got better over time,” said Gordon.

Although acne is common in adolescents and teenagers, adults are not immune from blackheads and pimples. Adults get acne, too. Older women can flare up during menopause because of the change in estrogen levels, says King.

There are multiple types of acne. For example, rosacea is found mostly in adults. Rosacea acne can be caused by certain foods, alcohol and sunlight. Former president Bill Clinton had rosacea at one point, but the general acne that most young adults get is Comedonal acne, which is whiteheads and blackheads, and inflammatory acne, red pimples.

Acne can attack any kind type, but it is easier to treat oily skin because most medications can dry out the skin. King recommends that people with oily skin wash their face in the morning and at night. Washing once a day is sufficient for people with dry or normal skin, but they should use a mild soap and wash gently, she adds.

Almost every day there seems to be commercial about a new acne treatment that claims to eliminate acne. Some ads claim acne can be cleared in three to 10 days. Acne is not curable and it will never disappear completely, but it is controllable, experts say. Acne takes about two months to begin clearing up. It all depends on the severity of the acne, the medication used and the consistency of the treatment, says King.

Thomas sought dermatology help, but said it was too expensive. Products like Noxzema helped to a certain extent, she said. It took Thomas several months to find the right treatment for her skin and to see results.

The most important thing to remember is that there are all types of acne, King says. Different acnes are caused by different things. Acne is not caused from being dirty. The best results will occur with consistent care. Create a routine and keep up with it. Always use a moisturizer after using medication. Give back to your skin what the medication takes away. It has to be a balance, says King.

“Right now I’m just doing the wash your face every morning regimen. I don’t use any special products, most of the time it’s just moisturizer,” Gordon explained.

Recommended Acne Treatments

Benzyl peroxide washes can help reduce acne, along with salicylic acid for milder cases.
King says face creams with retinol, an ingredient used in anti-wrinkle products, can also help clear acne.

Mark Holmberg: Print v.s Broadcast Media

A biology graduate rides his motorcycle to work to lay bricks. He comes across an Ozzy Osborne review in the newspaper and finds it to be “crap”. He attends a Ratt concert, writes a review about it, turns it in to a local newspaper station and lands his first job as a freelance writer for the Richmond Times-Dispatch Newspaper in Richmond, Va.

After working as a freelance concert writer for one year, he was hired as a feature writer for eight years then wrote a Sunday and Wednesday column for 11 years, while also working as a general assignment reporter.

He is a 6 foot 3 inch man who sported his shaggy hairstyle and rugged look to work each day while working at the Richmond Times-Dispatch for 20 years. Holmberg recently switch two years ago to television and loves it. What prompted this shift in careers?

“Starting about three and a half years ago the newspaper business started going downhill,” says Holmberg, a WTVR CBS 6 reporter.

Holmberg said that newspapers once were a money-making machine, “they were great at printing the news, but terrible business people.” When newspapers started to lose advertising and the profit margin started to decrease they panicked.

As a solution to this problem, The Richmond Times-Dispatch tried to reach at-risk readers so they catered to a younger crowd by writing shorter, punchier stories with graphics. In the meantime, they were losing older readers, which led to discontinued subscriptions.

“They tried to turn newspaper into a little television show,” said Holmberg.

“They committed suicide.”

Print stories are known to be a daily in-depth look on what’s going on in the world. This separates it from the blunt, punchy, breathless television news, said Holmberg.

Another reason Holmberg left the paper is because of the demands his job started to make, which caused him for the first time ever to miss a deadline for a column. After hanging on a year longer Holmberg finally quit.

Shortly after, CBS 6 News snatched up Holmberg. Since then Holmberg has been working there as a Web reporter.

Holmberg didn’t plan for his next job to be at a television news station.

“I was planning on taking off to Nicaragua, my plan was to be a press secretary for a drug lord or something like that,” said Holmberg.

But he liked the idea and now enjoys every bit of web writing.

It may seem like an easy transition from writing for print to writing for broadcast. A reporter is a reporter, how much different can it be? Holmberg was a respected reporter and photographer while at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, where he won several awards. But when he started in broadcast, “it was a total disaster,” Holmberg said.

Holmberg admitted it that broadcast is very different from print. He just couldn’t get the rhythm of it at first. Even as a photographer, it was much different than what he was used to.

A typical day for a T.V. reporter starts out with the reporter and assigned photographer going out in the field to interview sources for a story and capture necessary video. They bring it back to the station, the photographer loads the video in the editing system and then gives it to the reporter to pick the sound bites he or she wants in the story and give them time codes and place them in the time line. The reporter then goes back and writes the story including sots, stand-ups, and natural sound. The photographer takes it and edits the video according to the script.

Reporters do a lot of writing. Holmberg had to quit writing to finally become comfortable working at CBS. Holmberg said once he stopped writing, he was able to start looking and listening, the necessary skills to good reporting.

The difference between print and broadcast news is that “TV tells the news with a sledge hammer,” said Holmberg. Print tends to be lengthier, more detailed and requires more digging because they provide more information.

While at Richmond Times-Dispatch Holmberg loved meeting people, interacting with them and gathering their stories. But it was also a struggle making it into a story readers would want to read. At CBS, writing for the web allows Holmberg to use different elements and cool techniques to put a story together making it come alive.

Although the two mediums seem to be on opposite poles, they share relatively the same principles. Holmberg writes the same type of stories as he did when he was with the newspaper. He gathers his information in a similar way and still does regular reporting at the same time. Holmberg said he is just as busy as he was when he was in print.

Print and broadcast are both in a crisis, but print more so than broadcast. The flaws in broadcast and in print are endless. For print, newspapers are drifting away from the bigger deeper story. Television’s flaws have always been looking at the stories they same kind of way.

“All media have been comfortable in their own world and that needs to change,” said Holmberg.

Holmberg believes in the next 10 years everything will be on the web. There will be one or two major newspapers left and there will be one or two national outlets. Blogs will play a significant role.

“Whoever has the best Website will be number one,” said Holmberg.

How Healthy Are VCU Students?

Walking, jogging, or riding a bike, along with eating a balanced meal each day contributes to a healthy lifestyle.
While most of these activities routinely take place at Virginia Commonwealth University, Katie Vatalaro Hill, assistant director of the Wellness Resource Center says that one in three of VCU students are overweight or obese.
VCU’s Institutional Data Report’s 2009 study shows that VCU students do not consume enough fruits and vegetables. Hill says there are a variety of healthy choices to eat on and around campus. But when new students enter Shafer Dining Court, students tend to over do it with its all-you-can eat food stations.
Hill encourages freshmen to go to Shafer when they are hungry, not starving. This way they don’t eat in excess. Hill also suggests that students first walk around the dining hall to survey the options before selecting their meal. This will help them avoid piling too much food on their plate.
Eating too much at once slows down the metabolism, she said.
Many students enter their first year of college fearing the freshmen fifteen or gaining weight their first year of college.
“You come into college, a new environment, whether it’s eating, drinking, partying or not taking care of yourself; you can easily gain weight because you are not in the same atmosphere as you used to be,” says Vanessa Elam, a junior at VCU.
Hill says the freshman fifteen is a myth because studies have not proven it to exist among college campuses.
According to VCU’s spring 2009 Institutional Data Report, 61 percent of students only have one to two servings of fruits and vegetables per day where they should have five servings per day.
Elam believes the survey is accurate when it comes to the fruit intake. Shafer Dining Court and other eateries serves salads and wraps, but “besides that it’s really just hot dogs, hamburgers and pizza.”
Elam thinks she is getting the necessary vegetable intake, but not with her fruits. She believes one reason why students do not eat fruit is because the fruit choices are not appealing.
“Vegetables are okay but the fruit could probably pick it up a little bit, said Elam.
Hill says that students also fall short of making the right choices because of the time constraints and budget issues. Students’ schedules don’t allot enough time to make wise healthy choices so they resort to a grab- and-go nutrition.
“Sometimes they’ll sacrifice their health in order to get everything done that they need to get done,” says Hill.
For example, many students go the entire day without eating, only to end up eating pizza or fast foods late at night. Everyone should eat every three to four hours; breakfast, lunch, a healthy snack, and dinner. Or depending on the person’s schedule, Hill recommends breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a midnight snack, if they like staying up really late. Either way it is important not to miss meals, she said.
Students often make the mistake thinking eating too much is the only contribution to weight gain. Overeating, lack of exercise, sleep, stress and genetics all plays a role into weight gain. Because college students do not get enough sleep they tend to eat and drink to stay awake even if they are not hungry.
“But exercise helps boost energy,” says Hill, and also helps combat stress.
“Exercise is extremely important for college students,” says Dr. Eric West, assistant director of Recreational Sports Fitness Programs. He says exercising helps students study better, retain more information, relieve stress and improves self-esteem.
Ana Sanchez has worked out for most of her life and now works out three to four times a week and enjoys it.
“It gives me energy, wakes up my body to keep going and studying,” says Sanchez.
Although college is stressful and time consuming, students can get their health habits on the right track by practicing some small changes. Setting a curfew to not eat past at night, eat more meals a day with fruits and vegetables, and walk, don’t drive to class.
VCU’s Wellness Resource Center has a registered dietitian to answer questions and point students in the right direction. The center also provides outreach programs for different organizations on campus.
“College student are healthy, but they can be healthier,” said Hill.

Richmond Times-Dispatch Health Writer, Tammie Smith

While the debate over healthcare is still the hot topic among most news outlets, many other health-related issues such as HIV/AIDS are buried.

Richmond Times-Dispatch health writer, Tammie Smith unearths those stories in many of her articles. Her two most recent articles, for example, were about Richmond’s hunt for HIV vaccines and new medications to allow people to live longer with HIV.

Smith’s work mirrors minorities, the uninsured and special interests in women’s health locally and regionally. She covers healthcare on a broad spectrum from health insurance, consumer health issues and trends, medical advancements, research and other topics.

What makes Smith’s health column in the Richmond Times-Dispatch so unique and interesting is that she writes from a consumer perspective. She doesn’t regurgitate research and information into her articles, but answers the question, “what does this really mean?”

According to Dr. Michael Welch, the program manager for Community Health Services, Smith is an effective writer because “she is able to understand the role of public health and has come to understand the role of the entire public health system.”

Smith is “inquisitive and it plays in her favor.” Her profession allows her to “deal with large masses of people,” says Dr. Welch.

Now her years of experience have put Smith in a place where she can visit and share with aspiring journalist her tools for success.

As the guest speaker for a Beat Reporting class at Virginia Commonwealth University, Smith gave tips about how to find sources in the health care field.

Smith explained how some examples of health care sources or possible hitches can be found in everyday conversations, personal injuries, through co-workers, doctors, public relations people, what’s in the news, and attending community events.

Just by attending community events, you don’t have to necessarily find stories, but “stories sometimes find you,” says Smith.

There are numerous of technical terms when covering medical and health stories. Smith encouraged students as health reporters to ask questions for understanding when interviewing medical and healthcare experts.

Other than medical jargon, Tammie Smith believes medical and health reporting is no different than any other beat.

She reminds students the importance of being versatile in the converging media world. She explained how to translate print stories into online stories and the weight each medium carries. Smith also encouraged the student to be open and willing to report other beat besides the one they are assigned.

Smith expects to graduate this fall with a Master’s degree in public health, graduated in 1983 from Old Dominion University with a B.A. in Speech Communication and a minor in journalism and mass communications. She also completed courses at the Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn.

Smith was a reporter for the Journal and Guide in Norfolk, Va. for four years, the Tennessean in Nashville, Tenn. for 13 years, and has been with the Richmond Times-Dispatch since 2000.

Smith’s skills go beyond writing just for medical and public health. She also writes features for special health science, environment, and the technology section healthy lifestyles and products. During her tenure at the Tennessean, she covered several beats such as legislation issues and government.

Tammie Smith’s wisdom and advice left the students enthusiastic about the subject and ready to tackle future assignments for their class.