Blood Clot News and Research

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A Blood Clot is a mass of blood that forms when blood platelets, proteins, and cells stick together. When a blood clot is attached to the wall of a blood vessel, it is called a thrombus. When it moves through the bloodstream and blocks the flow of blood in another part of the body, it is called an embolus.

Peripherally inserted central catheter use associated with lower-extremity DVT

Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs), a type of IV typically inserted in a vein in the arm, are frequently used by healthcare professionals to obtain long-term central venous access in hospitalized patients. While there are numerous benefits associated with PICCs, a potential complication is deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or blood clots, in upper limbs.

18 Aug 2015

New study explains why statins are more beneficial than others in some cases

Statins' success in reducing atherosclerosis-related events has elevated the medications to wonder-drug status, with some researchers advocating for their wider use as a preemptive therapy for cardiovascular disease.

13 Aug 2015

McMaster University hematologist finds different limb loss syndromes

How people can develop limb gangrene and lose fingers and feet has baffled doctors for centuries. Now a McMaster University hematologist has identified different limb loss syndromes along with explanations for what is happening and what can be done about it.

13 Aug 2015

Researchers describe new Lab-on-a-Disc device for fast and reliable diagnostics of urinary tract infections

Urinary tract infections can quickly move from being a merely miserable experience to a life-threatening condition. Untreated cases may trigger sepsis, which occurs when the immune system, in an attempt to fight off the infection, inadvertently activates body-wide inflammation that can cause blood clots and leaky blood vessels.

12 Aug 2015

Mount Sinai launches clinical trial to test effectiveness of ticagrelor drug in treating coronary stent patients

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has launched an international clinical trial called TWILIGHT to test the safety and effectiveness of treating coronary stent patients with the anti-clotting medication ticagrelor alone, instead of combining it with aspirin, which is the current standard of care. Researchers will analyze the potential benefits of administering ticagrelor to reduce clotting while at the same time reducing the risk of bleeding associated with the use of both medications.

12 Aug 2015

High-risk patients not receiving recommended treatment for blood clots

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), encompassing deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), or blood clots in leg veins, and pulmonary embolism (PE), or clots that travel to the lungs, is the most common cause of preventable death in hospital settings. While these clots can be prevented by an approach called VTE prophylaxis, and this reduces mortality by as much as 80%, VTE prophylaxis is not universally prescribed for high-risk patients.

10 Aug 2015

Johns Hopkins researchers report on more effective way to spot patients at risk of septic shock

For a patient with sepsis - which kills more Americans every year than AIDS and breast and prostate cancer combined - hours can make the difference between life and death.

6 Aug 2015

Scientists develop artificial blood vessels that are resistant to blood clot formation

Scientists from ITMO University developed artificial blood vessels that are not susceptible to blood clot formation. The achievement was made possible by a new generation of drug-containing coating applied to the inner surface of the vessel.

4 Aug 2015

Endocrine Society recommends removal of tumor as first-line treatment for endogenous Cushing's syndrome

The Endocrine Society today issued a Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) on strategies for treating Cushing's syndrome, a condition caused by overexposure to the hormone cortisol.

30 Jul 2015

Wayne State's faculty selected for Aspen Health Innovators Fellowship

The Washington, D.C.-based educational and policy studies organization The Aspen Institute has selected Wayne State University School of Medicine's Patrick Hines, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of Physiology and an assistant professor of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, one of only 20 health care leaders in the country for the inaugural class of its Health Innovators Fellowship.

25 Jul 2015

Higher case volume linked with improved outcomes for catheter-based blood clot removal in LE-DVT patients

Patients who have lower extremity proximal deep vein thrombosis (LE-DVT), or a blood clot in their leg, are increasingly undergoing minimally invasive catheter-based blood clot removal - also referred to as catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) - rather than solely being treated with traditional blood-thinning medications (anticoagulation alone).

25 Jul 2015

More people turn to popular new blood thinners for atrial fibrillation treatment

More adults than ever are visiting their doctors' offices for a prescription to treat atrial fibrillation, according to a study led by the University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center.

23 Jul 2015

New UTMB study finds no association between testosterone therapy and blood clots in veins

A new study from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston of more than 30,000 commercially insured men is the first large comparative analysis to show that there is no link between testosterone therapy and blood clots in veins. The study found that middle-aged and older men who receive testosterone therapy are not at increased risk of this illness.

21 Jul 2015

University Hospital recognized for providing high standard of care for heart attack patients

University of Missouri Health Care's University Hospital has received the American College of Cardiology's ACTION Registry-Get with the Guidelines (GWTG) Silver Performance Achievement Award for 2015.

20 Jul 2015

Alternative approach to treat fatal blood clots found to be more effective in patients

Potentially fatal blood clots account for thousands of emergency room visits each year and often those patients are admitted to the hospital, treated with an injectable anticoagulant and monitored for a few days.

17 Jul 2015

Lixiana (edoxaban) recommended for treating, preventing recurrent DVT and PE in adults

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has recommended a new treatment to help patients suffering from blood clots in the legs and lungs.

13 Jul 2015

Penn State Hershey cardiologist explains causes and symptoms of heart attack

It's possible to have a heart attack and not even know it. Maybe it's because you're stoic when it comes to pain and fatigue. Or maybe you write off your symptoms as heartburn or indigestion. It's even possible that your own body is kicking up its reserves to mask symptoms of what is happening inside.

9 Jul 2015

New AHA/ASA guidelines recommend stent retrievers to treat strokes in selected patients

New devices called stent retrievers are enabling physicians to benefit selected patients who suffer strokes caused by blood clots. The devices effectively stop strokes in their tracks.

3 Jul 2015

WATCHMAN Device helps reduce stroke risk, stop use of blood thinners in patients with atrial fibrillation

MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute now offers patients with irregular heart rhythm a minimally invasive option to reduce the risk of stroke, as well as enable stopping long-term use of blood thinning medication. Physicians at MedStar Heart at MedStar Washington Hospital Center were the first in the Washington metropolitan region to successfully implant the WATCHMAN Device on June 16 in two patients with atrial fibrillation (A-fib).