Medication
See the best treatments for Factor V Leiden here. Education is the best treatment. Knowledge is power. Avoid hormone therapy, sitting for long periods, and stay well hydrated. The best treatment in my opinion is blood thinner therapy. Changing your diet to one that is low in vitamin k will help with the medication therapy. Blood thinners.
Nutrition
Factor V (factor 5) is one of several special proteins in your blood that help it clot. They're called clotting factors. Once the bleeding stops, other proteins tell your clotting factors to break up the clot, and it goes away. Factor V Leiden makes it harder for your clots to break up.
What is the best treatment for factor V Leiden?
It works like this: Factor V (factor 5) is one of several special proteins in your blood that help it clot. They’re called clotting factors. Once the bleeding stops, other proteins tell your clotting factors to break up the clot, and it goes away.
What is Factor 5 Leiden?
If genetic tests have confirmed that you have factor V Leiden, but you haven't had any blood clots, then your doctor probably won't prescribe blood thinners on a regular basis. But you may be given a course of blood thinners to reduce your risk of DVT during high-risk situations, such as having surgery or being hospitalized.
What is Factor 5 and how does it work?
Should I take blood thinners If I have factor V Leiden?
Can factor V Leiden go away?
Can Factor V Leiden be treated? There is no treatment that can prevent this disorder or make it go away. However, there are things that you can do to reduce your chances of developing a dangerous blood clot. You do need treatment with blood thinners if you have had a blood clot or develop one in the future.
Can people with Factor 5 have surgery?
However, your doctor might suggest that you take extra precautions to prevent blood clots if you have the factor V Leiden mutation and are going to have surgery. These precautions might include: A short course of blood thinners. Leg wraps that inflate and deflate to keep blood moving in your legs.
Is factor V Leiden high risk?
Factor V Leiden is thus a weak risk factor for developing blood clots; in fact, most people who have heterozygous factor V Leiden never develop blood clots.
How is factor V deficiency treated?
How is factor V deficiency treated? Factor V deficiency is treated with infusions of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and blood platelets. These infusions are typically needed only after surgery or a bleeding episode.
Should I take aspirin if I have factor V Leiden?
Though factor V Leiden alone does not seem to raise the risk of arterial clots, something as simple as daily therapy with low-dose aspirin may help prevent a heart attack or stroke in people with factor V Leiden if they have additional risk factors.
Can you take ibuprofen with factor V Leiden?
It is important that people with Factor V deficiency should not use Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs such as ibuprofen) as this greatly increases the risk of bleeding.
What is the treatment for blood clot in brain?
Thrombolysis – "clot buster" medicine Ischaemic strokes can often be treated using injections of a medicine called alteplase, which dissolves blood clots and restores blood flow to the brain. This use of "clot-busting" medicine is known as thrombolysis.
Can Factor 5 Leiden cause strokes?
Factor V Leiden is the most common genetic predisposition to blood clots. Individuals born with FVL are more likely to develop vein clots (deep vein thrombosis or DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), but not heart attacks, strokes or blood clots in the arteries of the legs.
How long does factor 5 Leiden take?
The factor V Leiden mutation analysis blood test is used to detect a genetic mutation in the factor V gene, causing an increased risk of thrombosis or abnormal blood clots. Preparation: No special preparation required. Test Results: 5-8 days. May take longer based on weather, holiday or lab delays.
Which blood thinner is best for factor V Leiden?
For patients with confirmed deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, anticoagulant therapy with subcutaneous low molecular-weight heparin, monitored IV, or subcutaneous unfractionated heparin or fondaparinux can be used [5].
How rare is Factor 5 deficiency?
Congenital Bleeding and Hypercoagulable Disorders Congenital deficiency of prothrombin occurs rarely. Factor V deficiency also is rare; only about 1 case per 1 million people is reported.
What causes blood to thicken?
Thick blood is caused by heavy proteins, or by too much blood in the circulation. Too many red cells, white cells, and platelets will result in blood thickening. Another cause is an imbalance in the blood clotting system.
Why is factor V called "Leiden"?
The mutation is named factor V “Leiden” because it was originally discovered at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, in 1994. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy.
What are the best measures to reduce the risk of DVT?
Effective measures to eliminate or reduce other risk factors for DVT or PE, such as smoking cessation, weight loss, and having a more active lifestyle
What is the most common mutation in a person born with FVL?
The “heterozygous” FVL is by far the most common mutation. If you have FVL, the risk of developing abnormal blood clots may depend on whether you have the heterozygous or the homozygous mutation. People who are born with FVL are at higher risk of developing DVT and PE.
What is a FVL mutation?
FVL results from a mutation (change) of the gene that makes one of the proteins of our coagulation system, called factor V (or “factor 5”). Because each protein in our body is made by two different genes (one inherited from Mom, one inherited from Dad), there are two types of FVL: “ heterozygous ” (in which only one mutated copy of the F5 gene was inherited, either from the mother or the father), and “ homozygous ” (in which two mutated copies were inherited, one from each parent). The “heterozygous” FVL is by far the most common mutation. If you have FVL, the risk of developing abnormal blood clots may depend on whether you have the heterozygous or the homozygous mutation.
What is the cause of FVL?
FVL is caused by a genetic mutation to the Factor V (or “factor 5”) gene. This gene helps our body make the coagulation factor V protein, which is one of the many proteins in our coagulation system that help our blood clot after an injury. The FVL mutation makes coagulation factor V work in “overdrive,” which increases the tendency ...
How to diagnose FVL?
Your doctor can diagnose FVL by ordering special screening and confirmatory blood tests that are specific to detect the presence of the mutation. Despite the fact that FVL can be diagnosed by simple blood tests, such testing is not necessary in every person with a personal or family history of DVT or PE.
Can you inherit FVL?
FVL can only be inherited from a parent who has the mutation , which is more common among individuals of Northern European ancestry. Children from a parent with heterozygous FVL mutation have a 25% chance of having inherited it from the parent who has the mutation.
What is factor V thrombophilia treated with?
People with Factor V Leiden thrombophilia who have had a deep venous thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE) are usually treated with blood thinners called anticoagulants (meds such as heparin and warfarin).
What is factor V leiden?
Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis (CVST) Some people with Factor V Leiden develop blood clots that manifest in the veins of the brain. Cerebral vein and cerebral venous sinus thromboses are blood clots that form in the veins that drain the blood from the brain called the sinuses and cerebral veins.
What are the symptoms of factor V?
If you have Factor V Leiden, you need to be very aware of the symptoms of deep vein thrombosis (DVTs), pulmonary embolism (PEs), cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVSTs), and other types of blood clots so you can seek medical attention immediately.
How to take care when traveling long distances?
Take care when traveling long distances by stopping every few hours and taking a short walk.
Can factor V cause sinus thrombosis?
These triggers, especially if combined with Factor V Leiden, can cause a cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. Symptoms from sinus and cerebral vein clots depend on the location and extent of the clot and vary from patient to patient. Severe headache, often described as the worst headache that a patient has ever had.
Can factor V Leiden be treated with anticoagulant?
People who have Factor V Leiden but have never had a blood clot are not routinely treated with an anticoagulant. Instead, they are counseled about reducing or eliminating other factors that add to their risk for clots.
Can factor V leiden be treated?
It is not usually recommended that people with Factor V Leiden be treated lifelong with anticoagulants if they have had only one DVT or PE, unless they have additional blood clot risk factors.
How to prevent factor V Leiden?
Since Factor V Leiden is an inherited condition, there is no way to prevent it. However, there are certain lifestyle changes one can make to reduce the risk of abnormal clot formation. Regular physical activity and avoidance of staying in a single position for a long period of time can reduce the risk of abnormal clots. Those on long car trips and airplane flights should stand up and move about on a regular basis. Estrogen-containing birth control medications and cigarette smoking are other risk factors that should be avoided.
How to tell if you have factor V?
The presence of Factor V Leiden is easily diagnosed with a laboratory test. This test looks at an individual's DNA to see if they are making normal Factor V or the abnormal Factor V Leiden. It also identifies if a patient has one or two copies of the Factor V Leiden gene.
What is factor V?
Factor V Leiden is a genetic disorder. An abnormality in the affected individual's DNA results in the production of an abnormal form of Factor V. The amount of abnormal Factor V, and the severity of disease, depends on the presence of one or two copies of the mutated gene. Those with one copy are 10 times as likely to have a significant abnormal clot in their lifetime compared to those born without the abnormal gene. Those with two copies are 60 times more likely.#N#Approximately 5% of the Caucasian population carries at least one Factor V Leiden gene. It is less common in other ethnic groups. Having one or two copies of the Factor V Leiden gene does not guarantee abnormal clots will form because other circumstances are involved. The lifetime incidence of an abnormal clot in the general population is 1 in every 100,000 people. This risk increases to 1 in every 10,000 people if one copy of the abnormal gene is present. It increases to 6 in every 10,000 people if two copies are present. This means most people with Factor V Leiden will never experience an abnormal clot in the course of their lives.
What is factor V in blood clotting?
What is Factor V Leiden? Blood clotting is a complex process involving many steps and substances. One of these substances is a protein called Factor V (pronounced Factor Five). Factor V represents an important control step in the clotting process.
Can factor V cause a clot?
This means most people with Factor V Leiden will never experience an abnormal clot in the course of their lives. The vast majority of those affected with Factor V Leiden will never encounter a problem and most will never be aware they are affected. However, when abnormal clots do form, the symptoms can be severe.
Why do we get factor V?
You get factor V Leiden because of your genes. That means you were born with a change or “mutation” that causes it. You can get it from one or both of your parents.
What is factor V in pulmonary embolism?
These can block the arteriesin your lungs, which is called pulmonary embolism (PE). Factor V Leiden is also known as Leiden type, APC resistance, and hereditary resistance to activated protein C. Factor V Leiden Causes and Risk Factors. You get factor V Leiden because of your genes.
What does factor V mean in blood?
Factor V Leiden (FVL) is a change in your genes that affects one of the clotting factors in your blood and keeps your body's blood-clotting process from working right.
How to lower risk of blood clots?
Factor V Leiden can also make your babygrow more slowly. How to lower your risk of blood clots. If you have a genetic condition that puts you at risk for blood clots, you can make lifestyle changes to lower the chance that you will get one. Be safe. Avoid bruisesand cuts. Try not to bump or injure your legs.
Can factor V Leiden cause blood clots?
Genetic conditions like factor V Leidenand a prothrombin gene mutation can make it more likely that you will develop health problems because of blood clots. And being prone to blood clots can put you at risk for two health conditions: Deep vein thrombosis(DVT).
What is factor V Leiden?
Overview. Factor V Leiden (FAK-tur five LIDE-n) is a mutation of one of the clotting factors in the blood. This mutation can increase your chance of developing abnormal blood clots, most commonly in your legs or lungs. Most people with factor V Leiden never develop abnormal clots. But in people who do, these abnormal clots can lead ...
What is the risk of inheriting factor V Leiden?
The disorder is most common in people who are white and of European descent. People who have inherited factor V Leiden from only one parent have a 5 percent chance of developing an abnormal blood clot by age 65.
How many copies of factor V are there?
If you have factor V Leiden, you inherited either one copy or, rarely, two copies of the defective gene. Inheriting one copy slightly increases your risk of developing blood clots. Inheriting two copies — one from each parent — significantly increases your risk of developing blood clots.
Does factor V cause a clot?
The factor V Leiden mutation does not itself cause any symptoms. Since factor V Leiden is a risk for developing blood clots in the leg or lungs, the first indication that you have the disorder may be the development of an abnormal blood clot. Some clots do no damage and disappear on their own. Others can be life-threatening.
Can factor V clots be life threatening?
But in people who do, these abnormal clots can lead to long-term health problems or become life-threatening. Both men and women can have factor V Leiden.
Why do people with factor V Leiden need to go on blood thinners?
Sometimes people with the Factor V Leiden mutation may need to go on blood thinning medication to reduce the risk of developing blood clots. This will depend on lots of other factors including a past medical history of clots or a family history of blood clots.
Why is factor V Leiden beneficial?
Because the people with Factor V Leiden have blood that clots more easily, it has been suggested that this may be beneficial during times during bleeding episodes (e.g. during menstruation or after childbirth). This is only a theory and there has not been any studies to confirm this theory.
What is factor V Leiden?
Factor V Leiden is a common change in a gene that controls a protein called Factor V. Factor V is a protein involved in blood clotting and the Factor V Leiden gene change (also called mutation) is linked to an increase risk of blood clots.
How common is factor V Leiden?
Factor V Leiden mutation is common – it occurs in about 1 in every 20 – 25 people in Australia. This mutation is more common than many mutations. Because the mutation is very common, it has been suggested that Factor V Leiden may have some benefit.
When should you tell your doctor you have the factor V mutation?
You should tell your doctor or surgeon that you have the Factor V Leiden mutation before any operations or prolonged periods of bed rest.
Can you get blood clots from factor V?
Most people with one copy of the Factor V Leiden mutation DO NOT develop blood clots. Blood clots usually only develop when there are other “risk factors” for blood clots. Blood clots develop when the circulation of the blood flow is reduced (e.g. after long flights, after surgery etc.) or in people with other serious medical conditions such as ...
Is factor V mutation inherited?
Factor V Leiden mutation is an inherited condition (i.e. from your parents). We inherited one copy of each gene from each of our parents. One (or both) of your parents will have passed the Factor V Leiden mutation on to you and you may pass the condition onto your children.
Which journal published an article for patients on factor V Leiden?
The American Heart Association has published an article for patients on factor V Leiden.
What is factor V deficiency?
This condition should not be confused with Factor V deficiency, an inherited bleeding disorder that can cause excessive bleeding following surgery or trauma.
What is factor V thrombophilia?
Factor V Leiden thrombophilia is a genetic disorder that makes it more likely for you to develop a blood clot sometime during your life. Still, it is estimated that 95% of people with factor V Leiden never develop a clot. When a clot does form, the clot most often occurs in your leg ( deep venous thrombosis or DVT) or lungs ( pulmonary embolism or PE). [1] [2] Factor V Leiden is the name of a specific gene mutation in the F5 gene. This gene plays a role in how your body forms blood clots after an injury. People can inherit one or two copies of the factor V Leiden gene mutation.
What are the risk factors for a factor V mutation?
The chance a person with a factor V Leiden gene mutation develops a blood clot is affected by a number of factors, such as having a family history of clots, a second factor V Leiden gene mutation, a second genetic or acquired blood clotting disorder, and other non-genetic risk factors . Non-genetic risk factors include surgery, long periods of not moving (like sitting on a long airplane ride), birth control pills and other female hormones, childbirth within the last 6 months, non-O blood group, cancer, and injuries (such as bone fractures). [1] [2] [3] [4]
How many copies of F5 are there?
We all inherit two copies of the F5 (factor V) gene. We inherit one copy from our mother and the other from our father. As a result, our risk for having factor V Leiden thrombophilia depends on the genetic status of each of our parents.
Does factor V cause blood clots?
People with factor V Leiden thrombophilia have a higher risk for blood clots. However, the severity of factor V Leiden thrombophilia varies greatly from person to person. Only 5% of people with one factor V Leiden mutation develop a clot by age 65. [3]
Can factor V Leiden be confirmed?
A diagnosis of factor V Leiden thrombophilia may be considered in people with a notable personal or family history of venous thromboembolism (VTE), such as having a VTE at an atypically young age, in an unusual location, or having multiple VTEs. A doctor may confirm the diagnosis by ordering a genetic or APC resistance test. Alternatively, it is becoming more common for people to learn they have a factor V Leiden gene mutation from an advertised genetic test they purchased directly. [4]
How to manage factor V?
There are things you can do to help manage factor V, aside from medication. Wearing compression stockings on long trips, avoiding alcohol, not smoking, using nonhormonal contraceptives, and maintaining a healthy weight can lower your risk of blood clots.
Is there a cure for thrombosis?
As there is no cure, treatment is focused on prevention of thrombotic complications by counseling. In addition, temporary treatment with an anticoagulant may be required during periods of particularly high risk of thrombosis, such as major surgery.
