Fast Facts for Patients: Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (2nd ed.)

Pyruvate kinase deficiency (PK deficiency) is a rare genetic disease that causes red blood cells to break apart easily (hemolysis). Some patients have no or few symptoms; others have very low numbers of red blood cells (hemolytic anemia) and need treatment with regular blood transfusions. Hemolysis occurs in everyone with PK deficiency. It increases the risk of complications that need monitoring, such as gallstones, iron overload, and low bone density. Treatment with mitapivat, which is taken as