On Sunday (13), the World Thrombosis Day a date that aims to raise awareness among the population about the importance of preventing the disease. According to the Brazilian Society of Angiology and Vascular Surgery (SBACV), more than 489 thousand Brazilians were hospitalized for the treatment of venous thrombosis between January 2012 and August 2023.
To talk about the topic, Dr. Roberto Kalil receives the vascular surgeon Nelson Wolosker dean of the Albert Einstein Israeli Faculty of Medical Health Sciences, and hematologist Joyce Annichino professor of Hematology at the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) in “CNN Vital Signs – Dr. Kalil Interview ” this Saturday (12).
According to the Ministry of Health, thrombosis occurs when a blood clot forms in one or more large veins in the legs and thighs. This clot blocks blood flow, causing swelling and pain in the area.
According to experts, there are several risk factors for thrombosis, with age being one of the main ones. “From the age of 50 the risk of thrombosis increases exponentially in relation to age”, says Annichino. According to the specialist, due to the increase in the population’s life expectancy, the incidence of thrombosis has been increasing.
Furthermore, according to Wolosker, there are three main situations that can increase the chances of thrombotic events. “They are: stasis. I mean, stagnant blood, the individual who is stationary, sitting for many hours, on an airplane, for example. Then injury or trauma and lastly hypercoagulable status. These are people who have a disease, such as neoplasia, or who have conditions within their own body that increase the chances of having thrombosis”, he states.
Thrombosis also occurs more frequently in people being treated for specific diseases, such as cancer, or patients who have undergone surgery or are hospitalized. “When doctors say: ‘you’ve had surgery, walk away’, they really mean to walk, because immobilization is not a good thing”, explains Wolosker, also highlighting the importance of physical activity for prevention.
One of the best-known risk factors for thrombosis is the use of contraceptive pills. This is one of the aspects that cause the incidence of thrombosis to be higher in women than in men. However, not all women are at increased risk of thrombotic events related to the contraceptive method.
“What is important in relation to contraception is the story of the woman who is going to start using it. We have to see if she has a family history or a history of having already had a thrombosis, so that we can contraindicate the use of contraceptives. Is it worth carrying out genetic studies for every woman who is going to use a contraceptive? There is no indication”, says Annichino.
What are the symptoms of thrombosis?
Symptoms of thrombosis can vary depending on the type of condition. In the case of deep vein thrombosis, the classic symptom is intense pain. Additionally, the leg may appear swollen and have a bluish tone. Difficulty putting your foot down is also a warning sign.
“Unfortunately, not all cases are like this. There are patients who do not have any symptoms, which eventually makes the condition much more serious”, says the vascular surgeon.
One of the main complications of deep vein thrombosis is pulmonary embolism. “We did a study in which we took one hundred patients who had deep vein thrombosis, were in the emergency room, and we did a chest CT scan on all of them, despite them not having any pulmonary symptoms or cardiac changes. And we found 74% of pulmonary embolism”, he reports.
In the case of arterial thrombosis, the formation of the clot occurs in an artery. In these cases, symptoms related to heart attack and stroke may occur.
“If it occurs in the heart, it is a symptom of a heart attack. If it’s in the central nervous system, it’s a stroke. The person may have a seizure, decrease in strength, change in sensitivity…”, explains Annichino.
In this case, the pain is also intense, but the skin is pale. “The individual has to fly to the hospital, because generally they will have four hours to be treated, because otherwise it is gangrene or death, it is very serious,” says Wolosker. Treatment, in general, involves rest and the use of anticoagulants.
Relationship between Covid-19 vaccine and thrombosis
In the program, experts also explained the relationship between vaccines against Covid-19 and thrombosis. Currently, there are studies that prove that the disease can be a thrombotic disease, while some vaccines can increase the risk of clot formation. Even so, they strongly recommend vaccination. “The risk of not vaccinating, having the disease and having thrombosis is much greater than vaccinating”, says Annichino.
Wolosker adds: “[As complicações] are real. However, statistically, these complications are very unlikely. If you have a bad headache, you’ll take the medicine, and probably nothing will happen. But somewhere in the world, someone will take this medication and have a problem. So, it’s cost versus effectiveness. I don’t think there’s even a discussion about it, you have to get the vaccine.”
“CNN Vital Signs – Dr. Kalil Interview” will air on Saturday, October 12, at 7:30 pm, on CNN Brasil.
This content was originally published in Risk of thrombosis is higher after age 50, warns specialist on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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