Prevent Thrombosis, Protect Your Health

Dr Arvind Kohli
kohli_arvind@yahoo.com
The World Thrombosis Day is the global campaign of the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis. October 13 is dedicated to the birthday of Rudolf Virchow, pioneer in the pathophysiology of thrombosis. This year’s theme for World Thrombosis Day 2025 is “From Head to Toe, Take Control: Prevent Thrombosis, Protect Your Health.” The theme conveys the following message
“From Head to Toe”: This emphasizes that blood clots can affect the entire body, both arterially (leading to heart attacks and strokes) and venously (leading to deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism).
“Take Control”: The campaign empowers individuals to become informed and to actively participate in preventing and managing blood clot risks.
“Prevent Thrombosis, Protect Your Health”: This calls for action, urging people to understand the connection between thrombosis and other chronic health issues and to adopt preventive strategies to improve their overall well-being
Thrombosis is a leading underlying cause of the world’s most devastating cardiovascular events-heart attack, stroke and venous thromboembolism (VTE)-yet public awareness remains critically low. Many people don’t realize that certain medical conditions, treatments, and lifestyle factors dramatically elevate their blood clot risk, making prevention strategies essential for protecting their health and improving treatment outcomes.
Why is there limited awareness about blood clots?
Many people do not know much about blood clots and are not familiar with the signs and symptoms until it happens to them or someone they know. Understanding risk for a blood clot and the signs and symptoms can help patient seek treatment at the earliest sign of a blood clot to prevent any complication
Who is at risk for a blood clot: Blood clots can affect anyone at any age, but certain risk factors, which affect blood rheology are important.
Individuals with cancer, diabetes, obesity and heart disease face significantly higher risks of thrombosis. This years theme, From Head to Toe, Take Control: Prevent Thrombosis, Protect Your Health, emphasizes these important connections to empower individuals with knowledge and preventive strategies for better health outcomes.
Cancer-associated thrombosis: Patients with cancer face a significantly higher risk of developing serious blood clots compared to the general population. Cancer-associated thrombosis, medically known as venous thromboembolism (VTE), affects approximately one in every 200 cancer patients and represents the second leading cause of death in cancer patients after disease progression.
VTE encompasses two dangerous conditions: deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which occurs when blood clots form in deep veins and pulmonary embolism (PE), when clots travel to the lungs. Together, these conditions create a potentially deadly medical emergency that requires immediate attention. Cancer cells naturally release chemicals that make blood stickier and more likely to clot. Several risk factors typically coexist in cancer patients, creating a perfect storm for thrombosis development: Active cancer therapy, including certain chemotherapies, Surgical procedures Hospital admissions and immobility Central venous catheters for treatment delivery & Obesity and hormone replacement therapy
Diabetes
Diabetes increases the risk of blood clots (thrombosis) due to several mechanisms, including high blood sugar damaging blood vessel walls, endothelial dysfunction, and altered platelet function, making blood more prone to clotting. This creates a “hypercoagulable state” where the body’s clotting system is overactive, leading to a higher risk of cardiovascular events like heart attacks, strokes and deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
Obesity also increases the risk of blood thrombosis (blood clots) through several mechanisms, including chronic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and impaired blood flow. Obesity is linked to an increased production of clotting factors, a decrease in fibrinolytic activity that breaks down clots, and altered platelet function. This can lead to a hypercoagulable state, significantly raising the risk for both venous thromboembolism (VTE), like deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), and arterial clots, such as those causing heart attacks and strokes.
Heart diseases and blood thrombosis are closely linked
Thrombosis, the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel, is a major complication of cardiovascular disease. Certain heart conditions, such as atrial fibrillation, left ventricular dysfunction and heart valve disease, can increase the risk of forming clots The hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis, causes fatty plaques to build up in artery walls. If this plaque ruptures, a blood clot can form on the rupture site. A clot can also break loose and travel to the heart or other parts of the body. and leads to heart attack or brain stroke which are life threatening conditions.
Deep Vein Thrombosis: When a blood clot develops within a deep vein in the body, it is known as deep vein thrombosis or DVT. It can affect people of any age, but the risk of DVT increases with age. Forty percent of DVTs develop into a potentially deadly pulmonary embolism (PE). These two conditions collectively are known as venous thromboembolism, or VTE. Fatal PE is the most dramatic effect of VTE and remains the most common preventable cause of death in hospitalized patients.
The best strategy is prevention by adequate prophylaxis for VTE. Early detection is essential for improved out come and requires a high degree of suspicion, when patients have unexplained tachycardia or unexplained fever Chest pain Dyspnea Hemoptysis Treatment of PE is decided by the cardiovascular status of the patient.
Pediatric thrombosis involves the formation of blood clots in the veins or arteries of a child or adolescent. Although thrombosis is less common in children compared to adults, it can be serious and requires timely diagnosis and treatment.
The most common age groups for pediatric thrombosis are infants and teens, respectively. This reflects the pattern of associated underlying diseases and interventions. The most common risk factor for a child to get a blood clot is hospitalization and as such, the presence of a central venous catheter. This can account for up to 90% of all pediatric thrombosis cases, excluding other conditions such as cancer, cardiac, renal, liver disease and inflammatory bowel diseases
World Thrombosis Day Campaign: World Thrombosis Day is your chance to make a real difference in the fight against thrombosis, a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Whether you’re a patient, caregiver, healthcare team, or policymaker, your actions can raise awareness, improve prevention, and support those affected, because Preventing thrombosis not only lowers the risk of life-threatening blood clots, but it also supports overall health. Since many clots occur in patients already managing these conditions, integrating thrombosis prevention into chronic disease care delivers widespread benefits.
Prevent Thrombosis, Protect Your Health
This calls for action, urging people to understand the connection between thrombosis and other chronic health issues and to adopt preventive strategies to improve their overall well-being.
Walk regularly: People should get up and walk regularly which is a move to increase blood circulation, which can help lower the risk of blood clots.
Promote Healthy Lifestyle Choices: Engage in regular physical activity, maintain a healthy weight, and avoid prolonged immobility, which are key preventive measures to reduce your risk. Sedentary lifestyles and the consumption of low-nutrient foods also contribute to the escalating number of cases.
Educate Yourself and others: Learn about the signs, symptoms and risk factors of blood clots (deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism) and share this knowledge with others.
Stay active and hydrated: Staying immobile for a long period of time can increase the risk of thrombosis, so keep yourself active and have plenty of water to prevent dehydration which can cause blood thickening and clot formation.
Shun smoking: As smoking constricts the blood vessels which increases the risk of developing blood clot
Precautions When Traveling: On longer flight journeys of more than 4 hours, get up and move around. Also, use the time to walk and stretch between connecting flights. While traveling by caron a longer trip, take a short break, stop when you can walk around.
From Head to Toe, Take Control underscores that thrombosis prevention is essential for all patients and healthcare providers. By working together across medical specialties, we can integrate blood clot prevention into comprehensive health strategies, saving lives and improving long-term health outcomes.
The author is Cardio Thoracic & Vascular Surgeon SVMM hospital)

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