Living with true polycythemia, the rules for getting better

Polycythemia vera can have a different trend from person to person: some patients manage to live with chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm, others suffer the strong impact due to symptoms, in particular headache, difficulty concentrating and fatigue, which have a heavy impact at work, sleep quality and social life. It is no coincidence that many studies show that such disorders often force patients to change their life plans. Today, thanks to therapies, including those that inhibit the Jak2 gene which is mutated in 95-98% of patients, it is possible to improve the quality of life provided, however, that some easy rules are also followed. This is what is reported in an article published in Aleati per la Salute (www.alleatiperlasalute.it), a portal dedicated to medical-scientific information created by Novartis. The first rule – we read – is that which involves movement: it is important to do physical activity, even moderate, as long as it is constant. In this way, mood improves and cardiovascular risk decreases. The only caution is to pay attention to the risk of trauma that could cause bleeding. For this reason, sports and disciplines that involve physical contact should be avoided. In general, 30 minutes of brisk walking a day is enough to have any benefits. The second recommendation, according to experts, is to avoid cigarette smoking as it increases the risk of thrombosis and cerebrovascular events. So keep your weight under control also thanks to a balanced diet, which also allows you to improve parameters such as cholesterol. Finally, against itching which is another of the most disabling symptoms, the advice is to wash with cold (or at least lukewarm) water and dry the skin by dabbing (rather than rubbing). Polycythemia vera – it is recalled in the article – can evolve into other forms of blood disease: in 10 years, a variable percentage from 5 to 20% of patients develop secondary myelofibrosis, a condition in which fibers are formed in the medullary tissue that they modify its architecture, so much so that the blood cells are altered in number and shape. More rare, but possible, is the evolution into acute myeloid leukemia, a serious disease that requires prompt therapeutic intervention. The life expectancy of those who fall ill with polycythemia is on average 14 years from diagnosis, but it is much longer (estimated around 24 years) for those who receive the diagnosis before the age of 60. The complete article is available on https://www.alleatiperlasalute.it/piu-a-lungo/policitemia-vera-consigli-vivere-meglio.