People with thalassemia have an inherited blood disorder that causes mild or severe anemia. The anemia is due to reduced hemoglobin and fewer red blood cells than normal. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to all parts of the body. In people with Thalassemia, the genes that code for hemoglobin are missing or variant (different than the normal genes). Severe forms of thalassemia are usually diagnosed in early childhood and are lifelong conditions. The two main types of thalassemia, alpha and beta, are named for the two protein chains that make up normal hemoglobin. The genes for each type of thalassemia are passed from parents to their children. There are mild and severe forms of the disease, the latter often called Cooley's anemia. Cooley's anemia is the most common severe form of thalassemia.
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