Antiphospholipid Syndrome

Overview

Antiphospholipid syndrome is an autoimmune disease, most often diagnosed in women between about ages 30 and 40, in which abnormal antibodies make the blood more likely to clot. It can occur on its own or alongside another autoimmune disease — roughly 40% of people with lupus also carry these antibodies, though not all of them go on to develop clots. Because clots can form in blood vessels throughout the body, the condition can lead to serious problems like miscarriage, pulmonary embolism, heart attack, stroke or kidney damage, and it's sometimes discovered only after one of these events occurs.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

• Which of the antiphospholipid antibody blood tests came back positive, and was the result confirmed on a repeat test months later?
• Given my risk factors, like smoking, blood pressure or birth control use, what can I change to lower my clotting risk?
• Will I need long-term anticoagulant medication, and how will you monitor whether the dose is working?
• If I'm pregnant or planning to be, how does this diagnosis change my prenatal care and medications?
• Besides blood thinners, are there other medications, like hydroxychloroquine, that could help manage my risk?

Getting Care

A rheumatologist typically manages antiphospholipid syndrome, often together with a hematologist and, during pregnancy, a high-risk obstetrician. Seek emergency care right away if you develop symptoms that could signal a blood clot, stroke or heart attack.

Source: https://rheumatology.org/patients/antiphospholipid-syndrome