Sickle cell disease, like many chronic health conditions, comes with a large financial cost. New research shows that “the annual cost of medical care in the US for people who suffer from sickle cell disease exceeds $1.1 billion.”

The disease cause an abnormality in hemoglobin, where “red blood cells can block small blood vessels.” The result is tissue damage, stroke, and other complications. Each patient pays an average of almost $2,000 per year to manage the disease.
Image: sxc.hu.