Blood clots are clumps that occur when blood hardens from a liquid to a solid.
A thrombus or embolus can partly or completely block the flow of blood in a blood vessel.
Situations in which a blood clot is more likely to form include:
Blood clots are also more likely in people with cancer, recent surgery or injury, obesity, and liver or kidney disease.
A buildup of cholesterol that narrows an artery may change or slow the flow of blood, making it easier for a blood clot or thrombus to form.
Conditions that are passed down through families (inherited) may make you more likely to form abnormal blood clots. Inherited conditions that affect clotting are:
A blood clot may block an artery or vein in the heart, affecting the:
Clot; Emboli; Thrombi; Hypercoagulable state
Schafer AI. Thrombotic disorders: hypercoagulable states. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap 179.
Updated by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director and Director of Didactic Curriculum, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington; and Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M. Health Solutions, Ebix, Inc.
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