This booklet aims to help you understand beta thalassemia (BT) so you can talk to your medical
team about your condition and its treatment. BT is a blood condition you're born with. It
affects your red blood cells. BT is a disease caused by changes (mutations) in genes that are
passed on from parent to child. You have BT when you inherit a gene change from both of your
parents. There are two types of BT disease - BT major and BT intermedia. A person can also be a
healthy carrier of BT without having the disease. This is called BT trait (or BT minor).
Treatment depends on the type of BT disease you have. People with BT major will require regular
blood transfusions throughout their life. New treatments for BT have recently been approved or
are being tested in clinical trials around the world with promising results. Table of
Contents: -What is beta thalassemia? -What causes beta thalassemia? -Types of beta thalassemia
-Screening and diagnosis -Beta thalassemia trait -Beta thalassemia intermedia -Beta thalassemia
major -Complications -Iron-related complications -Treatment -Treatment for complications -New
developments in treatment -New treatments for beta thalassemia -Living with beta thalassemia
-Asking for help
