Antiphospholipid Syndrome – What is it, Causes and Treatments!

Antiphospholipid Syndrome – What it is, Causes and Treatments that everyone should know. Furthermore,  Antiphospholipid Syndrome is an immune disorder in which abnormal antibodies are linked to abnormal blood clots in veins and arteries. This mostly affects the legs, but clots can also form in the kidneys , lungs , and other organs. Pregnancy complications include recurrent, recurrent and premature births. Antiphospholipid Syndrome  is also known as Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, Hughes syndrome, or sticky blood .

Abnormal antibodies attack fats that contain Phosphorus , known as phospholipids. Heart valve abnormalities are common in people with Antiphospholipid Syndrome , and may be due to one in three stroke cases under the age of 50.

In the legs,  Antiphospholipid Syndrome can lead to deep vein thrombosis (DVT). If a clot develops in the brain, there is a serious risk of stroke. There is no cure for Antiphospholipid Syndrome , but current treatments can significantly reduce your risk of developing blood clots.

What is Antiphospholipid Syndrome: Antiphospholipid  Syndrome is  an autoimmune condition in which a person’s immune system produces antibodies called Antiphospholipid antibodies. These are abnormal antibodies that attack proteins and fats in the blood , and specifically phospholipids. The fats and proteins that are attacked are considered important in maintaining the consistency of the blood . The blood becomes sticky, significantly increasing the risk of developing blood clots.

There are two main types of Antiphospholipid Syndrome:

• Primary Antiphospholipid Syndrome:  It is not associated with any other disease or condition, but develops in isolation.
• Secondary Antiphospholipid Syndrome:  It develops along with another autoimmune disorder such as lupus.

Symptoms tend to appear between the ages of 20 and 50, but sometimes they develop during childhood. Most people with Antiphospholipid Syndrome who receive treatment can lead normal, healthy lives, but rarely will a person with the syndrome continue to develop clots.

Risk Factors for Antiphospholipid Syndrome:  Genetic factors seem to affect the likelihood of having Antiphospholipid Syndrome . If a family member has the syndrome, the individual has a higher risk of developing it. Other risk factors include:

• Lupus, Sjogren’s syndrome, or another autoimmune disorder.
• Hepatitis C, syphilis, cytomegalovirus (CMV), parvovirus B19 and some other infections.
• Some medicines, including hydralazine, used to treat high blood pressure and some antiepileptic medicines.

Some people have the antibodies but do not develop signs or symptoms. However, certain triggers can cause the condition to develop in these people.

Triggers Include:

• Obesity .
• pregnancy _
• High cholesterol levels.
• High pressure .
• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
• Oral contraceptives.
• smoking.
• Staying for a long time, for example during a long flight.
• A surgical procedure.

Young and middle-aged women are more likely to develop Antiphospholipid Syndrome , but it can affect gender and any age.

Causes of Antiphospholipid Syndrome:  Blood clottingprevents people from bleeding too much after, for example, an injury. Phospholipids are cell membrane substances that play a role in the blood clotting process . People with Antiphospholipid Syndrome  produce antibodies that attack phospholipids or blood proteins that bind to phospholipids.

The immune system produces antibodies that destroy germs and toxins in the body. An autoimmune disorder causes antibodies to target good cells by mistake. A person with Antiphospholipid Syndrome will produce abnormal Antiphospholipid antibodies that mistakenly attack phospholipids. This can increase your risk of developing blood clots.

Why autoimmune disorders occur is unclear, and it’s also unclear why some people with abnormal antibodies never develop symptoms. A combination of genetic and environmental factors appears to be involved.

Blood clotting prevents people from bleeding too much after, for example, an injury. Phospholipids are cell membrane substances that play a role in the blood clotting process . People with Antiphospholipid Syndrome produce antibodies that attack phospholipids or blood proteins that bind to phospholipids.

The immune system produces antibodies that destroy germs and toxins in the body. An autoimmune disorder causes antibodies to target good cells by mistake. A person with Antiphospholipid Syndrome will produce abnormal Antiphospholipid antibodies that mistakenly attack phospholipids. This can increase your risk of developing blood clots.

Why autoimmune disorders occur is unclear, and it’s also unclear why some people with abnormal antibodies never develop symptoms. A combination of genetic and environmental factors appears to be involved.

Symptoms of Antiphospholipid Syndrome:  The signs and symptoms of Antiphospholipid Syndrome  mainly depend on where the clots travel and where they form. A clot or plunger, which is a travel clot, can result in:

• DVT: A clot forms in one of the large veins, usually in the arm or leg, and partially or completely blocks circulation. If a blood clot from DVT moves to the lungs , a potentially life-threatening condition known as pulmonary embolism (PE) can result.
• Pulmonary Embolism (PE):  A traveling embolus, or clot, appears in one part of the body, circulates throughout the body, and then blocks blood flowing through a vessel in another part of the body. In PE, an embolus blocks an artery that supplies the lungs.
• Pregnancy Complications:  These include recurrent miscarriages, premature birth, and pre-eclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy .
• Ischemic Stroke: A blood clot interrupts blood flow to a part of the brain, cutting off the supply of oxygen and glucose . Brain cell death and brain damage can result. About 75% of all stroke cases are ischemic.

Other Signs and Symptoms that are Less Common Include:

• Headaches or migraines .
• Dementia and seizures, if a clot blocks blood flow to parts of the brain.
• Livedo reticularis, a lace-like purple rash on the knees and wrists.

About 30 percent of people with Antiphospholipid Syndrome have heart valve abnormalities . In many cases, the mitral valve thickens, or develops extra mass, causing blood to leak back into one of the chambers of the heart . Some patients may have problems with the aortic valve.

Platelet levels may drop. Platelets are blood cells that are necessary for normal clotting. This can lead to bleeding episodes, for example nosebleeds or bleeding gums. Some people may experience bleeding into the skin, causing small red spots to appear.

In Very Rare Cases, a Person Can Develop:

• Cry it, an involuntary jerk of the body and limbs.
• Memory issues.
• Mental health issues, such as depression or psychosis.
• Hearing loss.

Diagnosis of Antiphospholipid Syndrome:  A doctor will test for Antiphospholipid Syndrome if the patient has at least one episode of thrombosis or pregnancy loss. A blood test will show whether a person has abnormal antibodies. Sometimes harmless antiphospholipid antibodies can develop for limited periods, because of an infection or some medication, so a second test will be necessary to confirm the result. If blood tests reveal abnormal antibodies, the doctor will evaluate the patient’s medical history to determine if the previous symptoms may have been caused by Antiphospholipid Syndrome .

Treatment of Antiphospholipid Syndrome:  A doctor will usually prescribe blood thinning medication , to reduce the chance of clotting. The patient will normally need this medication for the rest of their life. Possible combinations include aspirin with warfarin or Coumadin, or possibly heparin. If warfarin does not work, the dose can be increased or heparin can be added. The clotting action of anticoagulants can sometimes lead to bleeding or excessive bleeding. Patients should seek medical help at once if they experience:

• blood in stool, urine or vomit.
• Coughing up blood .
• Nosebleeds lasting more than 10 minutes.
• Severe bleeding.

Patients who experience thrombosis typically need to take heparin and warfarin. When the thrombosis disappears, they will continue on warfarin.

Treatment in Pregnancy:  A woman diagnosed with Antiphospholipid Syndrome should plan for pregnancy  before conception. Treatment will start early in pregnancy and end after delivery. In an unplanned pregnancy , the effectiveness of treatment may be reduced as it will not start until several weeks after conception.

Treatment will typically be aspirin , heparin, or both, depending on previous clots from pregnancy complications . Warfarin can cause birth defects and is not used during pregnancy .

If the patient does not respond to this treatment, intravenous infusions of immunoglobulin and corticosteroids such as prednisone may be prescribed. If, in the third trimester, there are no problems, heparin treatment can stop, but aspirin treatment may have to continue until the end of the pregnancy . Regular blood tests will need to continue to ensure that the blood can still clot enough to stop bleeding if the patient is injured or cut.

Antiphospholipid Syndrome Prevention and Diet:  A patient with Antiphospholipid Syndrome needs to take all possible measures to reduce the risk of developing blood clots. That includes:

• Do not smoke.
• Maintain a healthy body weight .
• Staying physically active.

It is important to follow a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables and low in fat and sugar:

• Stick to the same diet as before diagnosis, unless the doctor insults otherwise.
• Avoid bingeing and crash diets.
• Limit your intake of foods that are rich in Vitamin K to one serving a day, for example, a cup of raw or half a cup of cooked spinach , turnips, cucumber peels , broccoli , Brussels sprouts, green onions, cabbage and mustard greens .
• Avoid parsley , kale , seaweed and green tea.

People using warfarin need to maintain a steady intake of Vitamin K. Patients should not make any dietary changes or use any new drug supplements without first consulting their physician.