Mass General Brigham shared a post on LinkedIn:
“On World Sickle Cell Day, we recognize the strength and resilience of individuals living with sickle cell disease (SCD) and the importance of advancing equitable, patient-centered care. For years, physical activity was often viewed as a risk for people with SCD. Today, our experts are working together to better understand how safe, personalized fitness programs can support health, wellness and quality of life for patients living with the disease.
‘One of the parts of the lore of this disease has been that patients living with sickle cell disease can’t exercise, or they shouldn’t, because exercising can exacerbate symptoms of their disease,’ explained Sharl Azar, MD, medical director of our Comprehensive Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Center.
Last November, Amy, a Center patient, became the first person with SCD to run a marathon, with support from Jen Miramontes, the team’s medical exercise specialist. Dr. Azar and his team are helping challenge long-held assumptions about SCD while advocating for patients both in the clinic and at the state level.
Pictured: The Center team, including Dr. Azar; Jen Miramontes; nurses, Ellen Silvius and Sharon Amos; and social worker Kate Quint.”
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