Certain types of blood cancer may increase the risk of cold agglutinin disease (CAD), and while the presence of both conditions has historically been associated with worse survival, a study suggests that modern, targeted cancer treatments have reduced this negative effect. Because newer therapies are generally more effective at…
Discussion
Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with vaccinations. Not everyone will have the same response. Consult your doctor about whether a particular vaccine is safe or recommended for you. I cut my visit with my dad short on Saturday and went home. As soon as I got there,…
Discussion
“I’ll only be a minute,” my dad assured us as he stopped off at Parker Hall at Auburn University, where its computer center was located. It was 1965 or so, and we were on our way home from after-school activities. Dad wanted to pick up the punch cards that held…
Discussion
Some people with a diagnosis of cold agglutinin disease (CAD) secondary to another condition — when it’s then known as cold agglutinin syndrome, or CAS — may actually just have CAD. That’s the hypothesis set forth in a small study, involving eight people with “clinically well-characterised CAD or CAS,”…
Discussion
Whoosh! The heat and humidity hit me in the face every time I go outside. It’s July, and the weather conditions here in Auburn, Alabama, are more dynamic than in my other home in Papua, Indonesia — although the latter is 2.5 degrees below the equator. The combination of heat…
Cold agglutinin disease (CAD) is a rare disorder in which the immune system mistakenly attacks red blood cells, resulting in anemia.
CAD is characterized by autoantibodies, called cold agglutinins, binding to and activating the destruction of red blood cells when exposed to cold temperatures.
Symptoms of CAD include fatigue, Raynaud’s syndrome, joint pain, jaundice or skin discoloration, and heart problems. These symptoms can worsen with more cold exposure.
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