Chronic dehydration as a warning sign to prevent sickle cell pain crises
Official title: Chronic dehydration in sickle cell disease: An actionable biomarker to prevent vaso-occlusive episodes
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11384061 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether ongoing mild dehydration can help spot people with sickle cell disease who are more likely to have painful vaso-occlusive crises.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2025 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $131,050 |
| NIH project number | 7R21HL169555-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11384061 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People of any age with diagnosed sickle cell disease who can provide urine samples, attend clinic visits, and allow access to their emergency and hospitalization records are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without sickle cell disease or those currently in an acute vaso-occlusive crisis are unlikely to get direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
Researchers will measure markers of chronic dehydration, such as urine concentration and laboratory tests, in children and adults with sickle cell disease when they are not in crisis. They will combine these measurements with emergency department and hospitalization records and follow patients over time to see who develops vaso-occlusive episodes. The team will compare hydration markers to rates of pain crises to determine whether chronic dehydration predicts future problems. If a link is found, the work could inform simple hydration-based prevention strategies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If chronic dehydration predicts pain crises, checking and correcting long-term hydration could reduce painful episodes and hospital visits for people with sickle cell disease.
How similar studies have gone: Giving fluids during acute crises is standard care, but using steady-state dehydration measurements to predict future vaso-occlusive episodes is a relatively new and untested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Caughey, Melissa C — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Caughey, Melissa C
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.