Actor educates about anemia.

Byline: TIM CHRISTIE The Register-Guard

People suffering from chronic kidney disease, heart disease and diabetes often are unknowingly hit by a second, hidden disease: anemia.

Anemia often travels with these other diseases, undetected, causing fatigue, weakness and even damage to the heart. It's easily diagnosed and it's treatable, if only people know to ask their doctors.

That's why actor and activist Danny Glover is coming to Valley River Center in Eugene today to get the word out about anemia.

"The main thing is anemia is treatable," he said. "It's very simple to have your anemia diagnosed."

Glover knows firsthand how devastating anemia can be. His father, James Glover, now deceased, suffered from chronic kidney disease. He had anemia as well, though it wasn't immediately diagnosed.

"The anemia had robbed my father of his energy," he said. "He was cold all the time, he had chronic fatigue, and shortness of breath."

After the anemia was treated, it helped revitalize his father's life, Glover said.

Anemia occurs when a person does not have enough red blood cells, which are important because they contain hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body's muscles and organs.

About 100 different causes of anemia are known, including serious illness, vitamin or iron deficiencies, blood loss, genetic or acquired disease, or side effects of medication.

People at greatest risk for developing anemia suffer from serious diseases, such as chronic kidney disease, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and HIV or AIDS.

People suffering from such diseases need to be aware of the symptoms of anemia and not confuse them with their underlying illness, said Dr. Ravi Thadhani, a kidney specialist and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

A physician can diagnose anemia with a simple blood test, he said. Treatment is safe, effective and is much less troublesome than it used to be.

"We used to give blood transfusions," he said. "A decade ago we went to injections two or three times a week to treat anemia. Now we only need to give injections twice a month."

Glover is best known for his acting career, in roles ranging from the "Lethal Weapon" movies to last year's "The Royal Tenenbaums."

But long before Glover was an actor, he was an activist. His work on behalf of the Anemia LifeLine continues a lifetime's work on political and humanitarian causes.

"I'm a child of the civil rights movement," he said.

His parents, both postal workers, were union activists.

As a child, he protested against the death penalty, and as a young man, he was a member of the Black Panthers, according to the Washington Post.

He's long had an interest in African issues, and last year became chairman of TransAfrica Forum, a think tank dedicated to African matters.

He's received Amnesty International's USA Lifetime Achievement award for his work on civil rights in Namibia, his work as a United Nations goodwill ambassador and his work to abolish the death penalty.

Glover said he doesn't consider his activism any more important than his acting career.

"I don't separate them," he said. "I'm a citizen.

"Too often, what happens is we tend to categorize everything. You're this or that. There's a real concerted effort to limit what people can say and do.

"We all have the capacity to work toward change," he said. "That's all I do. My activism is to work toward change and to create a new paradigm."

ANEMIA LIFELINE

What/when: Actor Danny Glover will be at Valley River Center from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. today in the Bon Marche Court to talk about the Anemia Lifeline, a new program intended to raise awareness of the illness.

For more information: Visit the Anemia LifeLine Web site at www.anemia.com or call the toll-free information line at [phone].

- The Register-Guard