Who has thrombophilia?
Thrombophilia affects a large number of people worldwide. Persons who experience episodes of thrombosis, either as an isolated event or as a repeated event, may be affected with a thrombophilic disorder. There are people who have inherited an abnormality, such as factor V Leiden or activated protein C resistance, who have an increased tendency for thrombosis but may never personally get a blood clot. They may, therefore, have a known clotting problem, but never experience a thrombosis. Both children and adults can have thrombophilia, but it is more commonly diagnosed during the teen and adult years due to normal changes in the blood that occur with growth and aging. Both men and women can have thrombophilia. In fact, women who have thrombophilia can have clotting problems during pregnancy, associated with the use of birth control pills, or during hormonal replacement therapy.
