Five things you should know about thrombi

It causes1 in 4 deaths and accounting for a total of more than 540,000 a year in the European Union and 300,000 a year in the United States. Thrombosis occurs when blood clots, due to various causes, and becomes lodged in a vein or an artery of the circulatory system. Embolism occurs when the clot (thrombus) moves and circulates in the blood to other places in the body.

We want to talk to you about thrombi: what they are, how they appear and how they relate to Bioiberica. Here are five things you should know about thrombosis.

1. A thrombus is not the same as a clot

In physiological terms, we might say that a clot and a thrombus are the same thing, since both are masses formed from coagulated blood, but in fact they are not the same. Clots can be considered “good”, for example, when they form in wounds to prevent bleeding. On the other hand, however, there are pathological or harmful clots – more commonly called thrombi – that occur when the blood clot occurs in veins or arteries.
 

2. Why do thrombi form?

Normally, in the presence of a wound, our body reacts by forming a blood clot, thus preventing us from bleeding out. It is part of our body’s natural defense system.

It is not so normal, however, when clots form in places in our body for no apparent reason, preventing the natural flow of blood. The technical name for this phenomenon is thromboembolic disease. Depending on where the thrombus is located - in the veins or the arteries - it may cause deep vein thrombosis or arterial embolism.
 

3. It doesn't just affect older people

According to medical data and reports, the prevalence of these diseases escalates as age progresses, but they can also affect young people. Specifically, one in a thousand people under the age of 50 may develop thrombosis, and after the age of 80, cases increase to 6-8 per thousand. It is known that factors such as sedentary lifestyle, poor nutrition and excess weight have a significant impact on the appearance of thrombus.
 

4. The solution: heparin

Heparin is the world’s most important treatment for thrombosis. Its function is to prevent the formation and/or progression of thrombi and to allow the correct passage of blood throughout the body.

There are two main types of heparin: heparin that is administered in hospitals (intravenously) and heparin administered by the patient on their own. In technical terms, these are sodium heparin or unfractionated heparin (UFH) and fractionated heparin, also called low molecular weight heparin (LMWH). The latter has been gradually gaining ground and has become the principal treatment for deep vein thrombosis.
 

5. Heparin and Bioiberica

Bioiberica is a leader in the production of the pharmaceutical active ingredient of heparin, and as such, has a very significant positive impact on human health. Heparin is the world's leading anticoagulant for the prevention and treatment of thrombosis and saves about 100 million lives a year.

Thanks to our passion for the life sciences and our track record of more than 45 years, Bioiberica is a world leader in the production of the active ingredient of heparin, adhering to the highest standards of quality, traceability and safety. We are a key strategic stakeholder, and many global pharmaceutical companies rely on our knowledge and expertise.

For more information, visit www.heparinscience.com