Importance of D-Dimer Levels in Blood

Causes of High D-dimer Levels Statistics and More What is a D-dimer? A blood clot naturally forms to prevent the leakage of blood from a damaged blood vessel. D-dimer is one of the protein leftover substances floating around the blood when a blood clot dissolves in the body. Generally, it cannot be detected or found at a very low level. But, the levels of D-dimer elevates if you have a major blood clot. When is a D-dimer Level Assessed? 1 DVT Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is a serious condition that occurs when a blood clot forms in a vein located deep inside your body Pulmonary Embolism (PE) 2 Pulmonary Embolism is a condition where a DVT clot breaks free from a vein and travels to the lungs blocking some/all of the blood supply 3 DIC Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) is a condition in which blood clots form throughout the body, blocking small blood vessels Stroke 4 A stroke occurs when the blood supply to your brain is interrupted or reduced, preventing brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients DVT Statistics - USA Data from CDC 900,000 100,000 people are affected each year Americans die of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) by DVT in the US VTE Statistics - Global Data from World Thrombosis Day Nearly 10 million 544,000 new cases of people die in the UK to Thromboembolism Thromboembolism are seen each year Causes of Elevated D-dimer Levels Pregnancy Generally, normal pregnancy is associated with alterations of the hemostatic system toward a hypercoagulable state Recent Surgery Any recent surgery, particularly abdominal surgery elevates D-dimer levels for up to 6 weeks after the surgery Trauma Elevated D-dimer is common in trauma patients. The levels and the number of fractures are closely correlated Tobacco Consumption Cigarette smokers have higher d-dimer levels than ex-smokers. Ex-smokers, in turn, have higher levels than non-smokers Liver Disease D-dimer levels significantly increases in patients with liver cirrhosis, and elevates further as the disease increases in severity Above 60 Years of Age The concentration of the fibrin degradation product D-dimer increases with the age of the human anatomy ODxSaver.com