Obesity, immobility, smoking, heart disease -- these are some of the risk factors for blood clots you may be familiar with. Yet certain genetic conditions can also increase your chance of developing thrombosis. In fact, 5 to 8 percent of the U.S. population has a clotting disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some of these disorders are related to protein deficiencies, affecting your body's ability to prevent blood coagulation.
Antithrombin Protein
The protein antithrombin works with other substances in the blood to prevent clot formation. Low levels of this protein contribute to blood coagulation. If you have this deficiency, your body isn't able to properly use antithrombin. A lack of antithrombin may also occur, but this typically causes fetal death. Having this deficiency puts you at risk for venous thrombosis. Deep vein thrombosis occurs when these clots develop in the deep veins, which typically affects the lower half of the body.
Proteins C and S
Deficiencies in protein C or protein S also affect blood coagulation. These disorders may be congenital or acquired. In acquired cases, certain conditions such as liver disease can play a role in these deficiencies. Having heterozygous protein C deficiency means that you have one normal and one defective gene for the protein; this occurs in one in 300 people, MedlinePlus reports. Your blood clot risk is seven times greater compared to those who don't have the disorder, according to Dr. Satyen Mehta. Protein S deficiency is less common, affecting one in 20,000. Your risk for blood clots is six times greater if you have this disorder.
Effects of Blood Clots
Having any of these disorders doesn't seal your fate when it comes to blood clots; you may never develop one. If you experience the signs and symptoms associated with clots, however, prompt medical attention is essential. These signs include swelling, pain, redness and tenderness in the location of the clot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The primary concern about blood clots is their ability to break away and travel to the lungs, thereby affecting your ability to breathe.
Treatment
Anticoagulant drugs, such as warfarin, are used to reduce blood clot risk in all of these disorders. Long-term drug therapy may be necessary, although this treatment does carry the risk for internal bleeding, or hemorrhaging. For this reason, your physician must weigh your risk for thrombosis against the potential complications of long-term anticoagulant use. You'll likely receive a fast-acting blood-thinning drug, such as heparin, if you have a blood clot. Although these drugs do not destroy blood clots, they do prevent them from getting bigger and help keep new ones from developing.
References
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Carle Cancer Center; Hematology Resource Page
- CDC; Deep Vein Thrombosis/Pulmonary Embolism (DVT/PE)
- University of Florida Office of Medical Informatics; The Coagulation Cascade: Protein S Deficiency; Satyen Mehta, MD; 1999
- MayoClinic.com; Deep Vein Thrombosis: Treatments and Drugs; August 2009
- MedlinePlus; Congenital Protein C or S Deficiency
