Do I have sticky blood?

A Constellation of Clotting Disorders

A hypercoagulable state (also called thrombophilia), is a fancy word for a host of different clotting disorders. It means you have a predisposition to excessive blood clotting (aka thrombus formation). Sometimes, we call this “sticky blood” to simplify this constellation of clotting disorders.  Any condition that promotes excess clotting or decreases the body’s ability to stop clot formation can lead to a hypercoagulable state. In general, this process involves a complex cascade of events where the blood vessels, platelets, and clotting factors interact to form a clot. Natural blood thinners produced by the body are crucial to help regulate this cascade and prevent excess clotting. If either the clotting cascade or the regulation by natural blood thinners goes awry, a hypercoagulable state can develop.

Read full Straight Talk article “Do I have sticky blood?” by Drs. Heather Pemberton and Stephanie Coulter