Managing hemophilia A at different stages of your life

Young children

As a parent of a child with hemophilia A, it is important for you to be aware of what you can do to help your child as he or she moves through his or her life stages.

Teenagers

As a teenager with hemophilia A, you face a number of difficult and ongoing medical challenges as you mature and strive for independence while learning to manage your health. It is important for you to be aware of the things that will help you begin to live independently and manage your own bleeding disorder.

Going to College

Going off to college is an exciting time of life. However, you are leaving the safety net of living with your parents and as you become more independent, you will also be responsible for your own health and safety.

Lifelong Changes

As we age, we're at greater risk of developing other conditions. These conditions should be managed appropriately as they can impact your overall quality of life.

Here is a summary of some key issues faced by older people living with hemophilia A. Some are directly related to the hemophilia A and its management, and others are related to aging in general.

• People living with hemophilia have a significantly higher prevalence of hypertension compared to the general population.

• In the general population, obesity is associated with increased risk of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, stroke, coronary artery disease, osteoporosis, and clinical depression. In people living with hemophilia A, obesity has additionally been associated with reduced range of movement in joints and increased chronic pain.

• The risk of malignancy in hemophilia is similar to that in the general population.
• Some people may present with bleeding earlier, especially for urogenital tract and gastrointestinal tumours, and clinicians should be alert to this.

• Elderly people in general are at increased risk of both acute renal disease (ARD) and chronic renal disease (CRD). Those with hemophila A have an increased baseline risk of renal disease.