Recent years have witnessed substantial improvements in the organisation of comprehensive care for people born with haemophilia. Since the introduction of clotting factor concentrates in the 1960s and prophylaxis in the 1970s, the life expectancy of people with haemophilia in developed countries has increased from less than 30 years to over 70 years.1,2 As a consequence, the ageing haemophilia population now faces the same age-related co-morbidities as the general population.3-5
Little is known about how to manage cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia, and other age-related diseases in the older haemophilia population. Recognising the importance of how age-related diseases might affect people with haemophilia, Bayer HealthCare supported the launch of the ADVANCE Working Group in 2009.
The ADVANCE Working Group is a panel of experienced haemophilia treaters from across Europe who wish to raise awareness of such issues and to consider how management and treatment should best be adapted for people with haemophilia. Under the chairmanship of Gerry Dolan (UK) and Philippe de Moerloose (CH), ADVANCE has developed recommendations and ongoing studies which aim to: