Clinical Trials

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is strongly committed to supporting research aimed at preventing and treating heart, lung, and blood diseases and conditions and sleep disorders.

Researchers have learned a lot about anemia and other blood diseases and conditions over the years. This knowledge has led to advances in medical care.

Many questions remain about blood diseases and conditions, including anemia. The NHLBI continues to support research aimed at learning more about these illnesses.

For example, NHLBI-supported research on anemia includes studies that explore:

• How certain medicines and other therapies can help treat various types of anemia and improve quality of life for people who have these conditions
• Ways to improve blood and marrow stem cell transplants in people who have severe inherited types of anemia
• The safety and effectiveness of bone marrow transplants in children who have sickle cell disease
• Whether a medicine called eltrombopag can safely improve blood counts in people who have aplastic anemia
• Whether gene therapy can improve blood counts in people who have Fanconi anemia

Much of this research depends on the willingness of volunteers to take part in clinical trials. Clinical trials test new ways to prevent, diagnose, or treat various diseases and conditions.

For example, new treatments for a disease or condition (such as medicines, medical devices, surgeries, or procedures) are tested in volunteers who have the illness. Testing shows whether a treatment is safe and effective in humans before it is made available for widespread use.

By taking part in a clinical trial, you may gain access to new treatments before they're widely available. You also will have the support of a team of health care providers, who will likely monitor your health closely. Even if you don't directly benefit from the results of a clinical trial, the information gathered can help others and add to scientific knowledge.

If you volunteer for a clinical trial, the research will be explained to you in detail. You'll learn about treatments and tests you may receive, and the benefits and risks they may pose. You'll also be given a chance to ask questions about the research. This process is called informed consent.

If you agree to take part in the trial, you'll be asked to sign an informed consent form. This form is not a contract. You have the right to withdraw from a study at any time, for any reason. Also, you have the right to learn about new risks or findings that emerge during the trial.

For more information about clinical trials related to anemia, talk with your doctor. You also can visit the following Web sites to learn more about clinical research and to search for clinical trials:

• http://clinicalresearch.nih.gov
• www.clinicaltrials.gov
• www.nhlbi.nih.gov/studies/index.htm
• www.researchmatch.org

For more information about clinical trials for children, visit the NHLBI's Children and Clinical Studies Web page.

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