WOMEN AND VON WILLEBRAND DISEASE
"Von Willebrand disease (vWd) is an inherited disorder of the blood. Humans, and animals like dogs, can have vWd. When a person has vWd, his or her blood does not clot normally. A person born with vWd will have it for her or his entire life. There is no cure for vWd, but there are medications that help the blood to clot. vWd affects tens of thousands of people in the US and still it is not very well known. Here are some important facts about bleeding, clotting, and vWd.
Blood is a fluid, carried through the body in tubes called arteries, veins, and capillaries.
When a tube is injured, a small hole forms, letting blood flow out. This is called bleeding.
Bleeding from this hole needs to be stopped. Stopping the flow is called clotting.
Three steps, inside the body, are needed for blood to clot...
...Unlike the gene for hemophilia, which is sex linked, the gene for vWd is on a non-sex linked chromosome....This means that a child of either gender can have this gene..."
To read more about vWd, order your free copy today.
We would like to express our appreciation to Grifols for their contribution to the AHF Educational Program.
