These 5 Things Raise Women's Blood Clot Risk

Women have a higher blood clot risk than men, especially when it comes to Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). A DVT develops when you form a blood clot in the deep veins of your legs. As it circulates, there's a risk that the blood clot will break free. Then, it could lodge in your lungs (pulmonary embolism), causing a potentially fatal complication.

Now, certain factors such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, vascular inflammation and obesity raise everyone's risk for blood clots. But all women have an elevated risk, especially if you take a hormonal birth control pill or have an IUD. Because some of the hormones in your birth control makes your blood more likely to clot, you may prefer a non-hormonal option if you have other risk factors. These include condoms or a copper IUD.

Birth control that contains estrogen is more likely to make your blood clot. For that reason, newer forms of birth control combine forms of progestin and estradiol, leaving out estrogen to improve the safety profile. If you prefer a hormonal birth control, but are worried about clotting, you may want to discuss options such as Yasmine or Mircette with your healthcare provider.

Caffeine and Blood Clot Risk

When you drink caffeinated beverages like coffee and soda, you're more likely to dehydrate. If that happens, your blood clot risk will increase for a few reasons. You see, without enough hydration, your blood thickens and flows more slowly, becoming more likely to clump or form clots, especially if you have the habit of meeting up for daily coffee dates. Or if you swap a diet soda for a water bottle when you feel thirsty.

Blood Clots and Colitis

Men and women with Ulcerative Colitis, a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), are at a higher risk for blood clots. In fact, according to the Chron's and Colitis Foundation, having any kind of IBD gives you a three times higher clot risk compared to the general population. Furthermore, if you've ever had to stay in the hospital, that risk is further increased. As such, you'll want to watch for blood clot warning signs if you've been diagnosed with IBD, or have these other blood clot risk factors.

Pregnancy and Clotting

You may think that stopping birth control to conceive eliminates your clot risk. But pregnant women have a higher risk for developing clots, just as actress Gal Gadot recently did when eight months pregnant with her daughter Ori. (When pregnant women get clots in the deep veins of their legs, groin or arms, the condition is called Venous Thromboembolism (VTE), not DVT.

Now, the condition's name is different. But the danger is the same. And that's why VTE during pregnancy and post-partum is one of the leading causes of maternal deaths. (Even worse? The CDC says that 33% of people who develop VTE will experience another clot within 10 years. So prevention is very important.)

What We Know About Blood Clot Risk and VTE

Until recently, only a few VTE risk factors had been identified. During pregnancy, these included:

• A previous episode of VTE
• A relative with a previous VTE episode
• Advanced maternal age
• Smoking
• High BMIs
• In-vitro fertilization

For post-partum VTEs, risk factors include:

• Emergency c-sections
• Still births
• Pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy)
• Varicose veins 
• Post-partum infection

New VTE Risk Factors Identified

Now, thanks to one study in Japan, and another in Canada, three new VTE risk factors have been identified: Endometriosis and recurring miscarriages, along with rheumatoid arthritis.  To reach these findings, the first study's authors reviewed data from 103,070 pregnant Japanese women, collected between January 2011 and March 2014. Participants completed questionnaires in their first, second and/or third trimester, and their medical records were transcribed immediately after delivery and one- month post-partum.

First, researchers found that the frequency of VTE in the Japanese population was 7.5 per 10,000 pregnancies during both the pregnancy and post-partum period.

After identifying previous known risk factors, and adjusting for their presence, researchers were able to discover two new predictors for VTE: the presence of endometriosis and recurrent pregnancy loss. Women with endometriosis were 2.7 times more likely to develop VTE; women with multiple miscarriages had a risk factor that was 6.13 times higher.

In the wake of this information, we now know that more research will be necessary to keep people safe. And it should be coming soon. In 2023, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute launched clinical trials to determine whether certain body scans can detect blood clots right as they form. But, until then, it's important to understand your risk. And to address it with your doctor.

Additionally, two researchers in Canada discovered that having rheumatoid arthritis raised your VTE risk by 57%; DVT risk by 58%; and Pulmonary Embolism risk by 57%. Clearly, if you have RA, it's an issue to discuss with your vascular specialists, both during pregnancy and beyond.

Pregnancy with VTE Risk Factors

Knowing your risk for VTE is important, since pregnant women with one or more predictors may need to take precautionary measures. In fact, VTE is such a dangerous complication that at-risk pregnant women may need to take anti-coagulants (with the supervision of and recommendation from their physicians.) To learn more about managing VTE and other venous conditions, schedule a consultation with our vascular specialists in Houston and Dallas.

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