DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have a relative who was diagnosed with polycythemia vera. What is this disorder, and can it be treated? Is any new research being conducted on polycythemia vera?
ANSWER: Polycythemia vera is a blood disorder where the body makes too many red blood cells. It's one in a family of diseases called myeloproliferative disorders. In these diseases, bone marrow — the spongy tissue inside bones where blood cells are made — is affected by a type of chronic leukemia that causes it to make more cells than it should.
Patients with polycythemia vera have a high red blood cell count. But sometimes the disease also can result in too many white blood cells, or too many platelets — the component of blood that aids in clotting. A considerable amount of research is underway to investigate this blood disorder and treatments for it.
