Rare Blood Disease Being Treated in Indy

Indianapolis is one of two cities in the U.S. that is now home to an innovative treatment center for a rare blood disorder. Maryland-based nonprofit Cure HHT says the Indiana Hemophilia & Thrombosis Center is a designated center for the treatment of Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia.

HHT is the second most common genetic disease, causing abnormalities in blood vessels. It affects an estimated 1.4 million people globally. 

Thanks in part to a program funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, clinicians in Indianapolis underwent training to become specialists in HHT care. 

The local center already works with patients who struggle with hemophilia, the hereditary condition where the blood fails to coagulate. With the new designation, it will also be able to provide comprehensive care for patients and families with HHT, including management of bleeding.

“The Indiana Hemophilia & Thrombosis Center is excited to announce our partnership with Cure HHT as an HHT-HTC Treatment Center. This designation is truly an honor and reinforces our center’s ongoing commitment to providing expert HHT care, allowing our patients to flourish,” said Dr. Magdalena Lewandowska, director of the Indiana HHT-HTC Treatment Center.

The other newly designated center is in Ann Abor. Click here to learn more about HHT.