The World Thrombosis Day campaign, with the slogan "Eyes Open to Thrombosis," is dedicated to raising awareness of the symptoms, risk factors, and signs of blood clots. With the support of more than 3,000 partner organisations, 10,000 awareness activities are being organised globally in advance of the campaign's 10th anniversary in 2023.
Heart attacks, ischemic strokes, and venous thromboembolism (VTE), the top three cardiovascular deaths, are all underpinned by blood clots. Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, which is most frequently found in the leg, can cause one or more blood clots to develop, which can then spread through the bloodstream and lodge in the lungs, to cause VTE (a condition known as pulmonary embolism, PE).
The global campaign this year makes more efforts to highlight the prevalence of this frequently ignored condition by sharing the personal experiences of patients and survivors who have dealt with life-threatening VTE.
The following are the top focus areas for the World Thrombosis Day campaign this year as it shines a spotlight on the risk factors associated with VTE blood clots:
- Hospital Associated: Over 50 per cent of VTE occur during or after hospital admission.
- Cancer-Associated: Patients with cancer are four times more likely to develop a serious blood clot due to the effects of cancer, surgery and chemotherapy.
- Gender Associated: Men are more likely to develop blood clots than women, and when they have a clot, are more likely to get a recurrence than women. Women have periods in their lives where they are at increased risk, for example, if they use combined oral contraceptives or oral hormone replacement therapy during pregnancy, and six weeks postpartum.
- Mental Health: Increased anxiety, depression and/or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are common following a physical diagnosis of a blood clot.
The World Thrombosis Day campaign calls upon healthcare professionals to take determined action, such as performing VTE risk assessments when individuals are admitted to the hospital. The campaign further encourages the general public to request a VTE risk assessment when they are admitted to the hospital.
World Thrombosis Day shares these key tips to help prevent blood clots:
- Know the signs and symptoms of a blood clot. Red flags to look for are unexplained leg pain, sometimes associated with tenderness, redness and/or swelling. Pulmonary embolism can cause shortness of breath, rapid breathing, chest pain and occasionally coughing up blood.
- Ask for a VTE risk assessment. All individuals, when admitted to the hospital, should ask their healthcare professional for a VTE risk assessment, a questionnaire that gathers medical information to discern a patient’s potential risk factors for developing a blood clot(s).
- Stay active and hydrated when undertaking long periods of desk work. Set an alarm for five minutes before every hour, and use that time to get up, walk around and stretch. Staying immobile for long periods of time can increase the risk of blood clots. Drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration, which can cause blood to thicken, resulting in blood clots.
“We encourage everyone across the globe to get involved in World Thrombosis Day to increase public awareness and education about blood clots,” said Professor Flora Peyvandi, MD, ISTH President. “We want to thank Prof. Beverley Hunt (Chair) and the Steering Committee, a group of patients and renowned international medical experts in the fields of thrombosis, hemostasis, vascular and general internal medicine, and public health, for lending their time, expertise and guidance to help the campaign impact billions of people each year.”
World Thrombosis Day (WTD) aims to increase public, healthcare professional and healthcare systems’ awareness of thrombosis and, ultimately, to reduce deaths and disabilities from thromboembolic disease through greater awareness of its causes, risk factors, signs and symptoms, and evidence-based prevention and treatment.
The International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis, ISTH, is the leading worldwide not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing the understanding, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of conditions related to thrombosis and hemostasis. ISTH is an international medical-scientific professional membership organization with more than 7,500 clinicians, researchers, and educators working together to improve the lives of patients in more than 110 countries around the world. Among its highly regarded activities and initiatives are education and standardization programs, research activities, meetings and congresses, peer-reviewed publications, expert committees, and World Thrombosis Day on 13 October.