| For your body to function properly, it | | | | in a single cell in your bone marrow. In |
| needs a steady supply of oxygenated | | | | polycythemia vera, researchers have |
| blood that is supplied by red blood | | | | found this mutation to be a change in a |
| cells. These blood cells carry oxygen | | | | protein switch that tells the cells to |
| from the lungs to different parts of the | | | | grow. Specifically it's a mutation in |
| body to give you energy and keep the | | | | the protein JAK2 (the JAK2 V617F |
| skin healthy. | | | | mutation)," explained the Mayo Clinic. |
| But if the bone marrow makes too many | | | | "More than 90 percent of patients with |
| red blood cells, the blood thickens and | | | | polycythemia vera, and about half of |
| trouble begins. This is called | | | | patients with other myeloproliferative |
| polycythemia vera - a blood disorder | | | | disorders, have this mutation. Doctors |
| that causes many health problems. | | | | and researchers don't understand the |
| "Polycythemia vera - also called primary | | | | full role of this mutation and its |
| polycythemia - occurs most often in | | | | implications for treating the disease," |
| older adults. It's rare in people | | | | it added. |
| younger than 20. Polycythemia vera | | | | But don't feel so bad if you have this |
| usually develops very slowly. You may | | | | condition since you can live with the |
| have it for years without noticing any | | | | disease in the absence of complications |
| signs or symptoms. Often, polycythemia | | | | like a stroke, heart attack, an enlarged |
| vera is found during a blood test done | | | | spleen and skin problems. |
| for some other reason," said the Mayo | | | | "Polycythemia vera causes your blood to |
| Clinic. | | | | be thicker than normal, which can slow |
| In the early stages, the disease has no | | | | the rate of blood flow through your |
| symptoms. As it progresses, the patient | | | | veins and arteries. Increased blood |
| may have headaches, dizziness, shortness | | | | thickness and decreased blood flow, as |
| of breath, difficulty breathing | | | | well as abnormalities in your platelets, |
| especially when lying down, chest pain, | | | | increase your risk of blood clots. Blood |
| numbness and fatigue. | | | | clots can cause a stroke, a heart |
| No one knows why people get polycythemia | | | | attack, or blockage of an artery in your |
| vera but it appears to be caused by a | | | | lungs (pulmonary embolism) or in a vein |
| mutation in red blood cell production. | | | | deep within a muscle (deep vein |
| The mutation is acquired but how this | | | | thrombosis)," warned the Mayo Clinic. |
| happens is a mystery. What we know if | | | | Treatment is aimed at keeping the red |
| that the disease is common in older | | | | blood cell level within a tolerable |
| people, it affects more men than women | | | | range. This can be done with the use of |
| and it appears to run in families. | | | | drugs, phlebotomy (removing blood) or |
| "The problem with blood cell production | | | | low-dose aspirin to decrease clotting |
| associated with polycythemia vera is | | | | and reduce the chance of a stroke or |
| caused by a change, or mutation, to DNA | | | | heart attack. |