MANILA, Philippines – Did you know that you could increase your risk of suffering from blood clot just by sitting on your office chair, in a car or a train?
Based from the calculation extrapolated from the number of thrombosis-related deaths across Europe, thrombosis or blood clot kills one person every 37 seconds across the Western world.
The seriousness of thrombosis is often overlooked and misunderstood. A recent global survey conducted by ICM Research showed that only one in 10 people consider blood clots as life threatening as AIDS, breast cancer, prostate cancer or road traffic accidents.
North American Thombosis Forum defines thrombosis as the formation of a blood clot within a blood vessel causing a partial or total obstruction; it prevents blood from flowing normally through the circulatory system.
Venous thromboembolism (VTE)
It includes both deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). Risk factors that contribute to VTE are varied and include immobilization, hypercoagulability, vessel wall damage, surgery, cancer, heredity, pregnancy, increased estrogen level, obesity, smoking, among others.
Arterial thrombosis
This happens within the coronary arteries. It leads to heart attack, while obstruction of the cerebral vasculature causes stroke. It is important to note that venous and arterial thromboses share many of the same risk factors, including cigarette smoking, hypertension and diabetes mellitus.
Deep vein thrombosis
This is the most common form of venous thrombosis. Signs and symptoms of DVT include discomfort, heaviness, pain aching, throbbing, itching, or warmth in the legs, skin changes in the leg, such as discoloration, thickening, or ulceration and swelling of the legs, ankles, or feet.
In line with this, World Thrombosis Day is celebrated every 13th of October. It aims to spread awareness about the disease as well as reduce the deaths from thrombosis to improve public health and wellbeing worldwide.
The International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) together with Bayer are just some of the organizations dedicated to focus attention on thrombosis. For more information about the symptoms and risk factors of thrombosis, you may visit WorldThrombosoDay.org.