Predictors of Deterioration | Uncovering Sleep Patterns in Vaso-Occlusive Crises (VOCs).
Every year, around 90% of adults living with sickle cell disease (SCD) face at least one severe pain episode, or vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC), each with unique triggers, symptoms, and varying intensity. While the experience of pain is deeply personal, the common thread is clear: these crises are unpredictable, debilitating, and take a toll on every aspect of life. When Sanius first began its work in the space, we had a strong theory that a lack of sleep held a significant link to VOCs, and while we did see some notable correlations between factors such as deep sleep and quality of life measures, the impact of other key variables around crises pushed sleep back from the forefront somewhat. From a personal perspective, I was recently in San Francisco with jetlag so intense that I was only sleeping 3 hours a day here and there, unable to work out thanks to the pain from the resulting VOC.
By
Distilled Post Editorial Team
