Factor V Leiden: A common hereditary clotting disorder in the U.S

To cover the war for NBC news, when 39 years old David Bloom went to Iraq in 2003, his wife was naturally worried about his safety. But it was blood clot that stuck in his lungs instead of bullet, or bomb to end his life.

After sometime Ms. Bloom came to know that her husband had a genetic deformity: factor V Leiden (to be pronounced as factor five) that greatly increased his risk to develop that blood clots.

An out of sight Problem

In the U.S, factor V Leiden is one of the most common hereditary clotting disorders that is found in 2 to 7 percent of white-skinned, in few Hispanics and seldom in Asians and African-Americans.

Almost 20 to 40 percent cases of deep vein thrombosis or D.V.T. is due to this disorder. The clot, developed in Mr. Bloom’s leg, slipped to his lungs and turned into a pulmonary blockage that be the reason of Bloom’s death.

This is not a routine of screening this problem and factor V Leiden is often not noticed so long as many members of a family have clots or one person has a sequence of clots and even in these conditions a likely carrier of the gene disorder may not be examined.
Mutation in the factor V gene.

Clots may develop in veins anywhere in someone with factor V Leiden. Its deformity can boost the risk of stroke, miscarriage, heart attack, gallbladder dysfunction and toxemia of pregnancy. Women who take estrogen therapy or oral contraceptive are more likely to develop clots and similarly women can also develop the risk of clots after childbirth or surgery.

A mutation in the factor V gene, which takes part in developing clots for example in response to an injury, causes this disorder. The body’s ability to slow down clot development is restrained without two fully efficient factor V genes.

Tests

There are two blood tests that can perceive factor V Leiden. One is APC resistance assay that can be used for screening and prove 95 % accurate. In this test, anticoagulant response to activated protein C is measured. A costly but definitive diagnosis that is performed on blood can be done by genetic analysis of the factor V gene.

If there is a personal or family history of clots in people, testing can save them clotting difficulties while undergoing major surgery. Similarly, testing can also prove very helpful to avert clotting in people who are treated for cancer, expected pregnancy or plan to have oral contraceptives.

Preventive measures

During long periods of check, preventive measures like long car and plan rides are also very important. Taking plenty of water to avoid dehydration, keeping away from alcohol, frequent walks and wearing elastic stocking can decrease the risk of such clots.