What is Fibrinogen?
Fibrinogen is a protein found in blood plasma which plays a vital role in blood clotting. Levels of fibrinogen in the blood can be detected with the use of a blood test which can also be used to look at levels of other clotting agents and substances in the blood. Abnormally high or low fibrinogen levels can reveal a wide range of medical conditions, from a predisposition for strokes to a bleeding disorder. This protein is produced by the liver. When the body needs the blood to clot, a reaction between fibrinogen and thrombin is created, turning the fibrinogen into fibrin, a stringy substance which slowly mats over to create a clot of blood. Clotting can happen remarkably quickly, especially at the site of a small injury. Once the clot has served its purpose, the body will break the clot down, or in the case of a clot on the outside of the body, the clot will scab over and fall off. Some people are born with a condition known as afibrinogenaemia, which means that they do not have enough
