Sickle-cell disease (
SCD), also known as
sickle-cell anaemia (
SCA), is a hereditary
blood disorder, caused by an abnormality in the oxygen-carrying protein
haemoglobin found in
red blood cells. This leads to a propensity for the cells to assume an abnormal, rigid,
sickle-like shape under certain circumstances. Sickle-cell disease is associated with a number of acute and chronic health problems, such as severe infections, attacks of severe pain ("sickle-cell crisis"),
stroke, and an increased risk of death.