In recent years, genetics has become a hot topic in popular culture, frequently making news headlines and serving as a key theme in movies and TV shows—and for good reason: our genes are what make us unique.
Genes not only help to shape our tastes and preferences, but they also can influence our health. In some cases, our genes play silent roles within our bodies. In others, genes take on a more prominent role, even determining our likelihood of having specific diseases.
This brings me to sickle cell disease (SCD), a topic I am passionate about and have discussed in previous articles. In this article, I’d like to focus on the often under-recognized fact that SCD is a genetic disease and is inherited from the passing of the sickle cell gene from parent to child.