If you have factor V Leiden, you
inherited either one copy or
, rarely, two copies of the defective gene. Inheriting one copy slightly increases your risk of developing blood clots. Inheriting two copies — one from each parent — significantly increases your risk of developing blood clots.
What gene causes Factor V Leiden?
A particular mutation
in the F5 gene
causes factor V Leiden thrombophilia. The F5 gene provides instructions for making a protein called coagulation factor V. This protein plays a critical role in the coagulation system, which is a series of chemical reactions that forms blood clots in response to injury.
What percentage of the population has Factor V Leiden?
How common is factor V Leiden (FVL)? In the U.S., FVL is present in approximately
5% of the general
population. It is less common in Native Americans and African-Americans than in those of Northern European ancestry. In some countries of Northern Europe, FVL is found in up to 10-15% of the population.
How can Factor V Leiden be prevented?
Since Factor V Leiden is an inherited condition,
there is no way to prevent it
. However, there are certain lifestyle changes one can make to reduce the risk of abnormal clot formation.
Are you born with Factor V Leiden?
People who have this mutation are
born
with it. One or both of your parents passed it on to you.
What is the difference between factor V deficiency and factor V Leiden?
Factor V deficiency is also known as Owren’s disease or parahemophilia. It’s a rare bleeding disorder that results in
poor clotting
after an injury or surgery. Factor V deficiency shouldn’t be confused with factor V Leiden mutation, a much more common condition that causes excessive blood clotting.
Should I take aspirin if I have factor V Leiden?
Though factor V Leiden alone does not seem to raise the risk of arterial clots, something as simple as
daily therapy with low-dose aspirin
may help prevent a heart attack or stroke in people with factor V Leiden if they have additional risk factors.
Can I donate blood if I have Factor V Leiden?
People with factor V Leiden may donate blood,
platelets or plasma safely
, as long as they are not on an anticoagulant such as warfarin. Only a very few medicines prevent people from donating blood.
Can Factor 5 Leiden skip a generation?
Can Factor V Leiden skip a generation?
No
… genetic mutations are passed from generation to generation because we receive our DNA from our parents.
Can I take ibuprofen if I have Factor V Leiden?
It is important that people with Factor V deficiency
should not use Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
(NSAIDs such as ibuprofen) as this greatly increases the risk of bleeding.
What foods should I avoid with factor V Leiden?
If you are taking warfarin (Coumadin), do not suddenly change the amount of
vitamin K
–rich foods you eat, such as broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, lettuce, and spinach. Vitamin K can interfere with the medicine.
Can you get rid of factor V Leiden?
Can Factor V Leiden be treated?
There is no treatment that can prevent this disorder or make it go away
. However, there are things that you can do to reduce your chances of developing a dangerous blood clot. You do need treatment with blood thinners if you have had a blood clot or develop one in the future.
Does factor V Leiden bruise easily?
The signs and symptoms of this condition can begin at any age, although the most severe cases are apparent in childhood. Factor V deficiency commonly causes nosebleeds;
easy bruising
; bleeding under the skin; bleeding of the gums; and prolonged or excessive bleeding following surgery, trauma, or childbirth.
Is Factor 5 Leiden an autoimmune disease?
APLAS is
an autoimmune disease
, causing the immune system to work too much and attack healthy parts of a child’s body. Like autoimmune diseases, APLAS runs in families, but there is not a specific gene for APLAS like factor V Leiden.
Are there different types of factor V Leiden?
At least 1 of the genes that you inherited is the mutated gene that makes the Factor V Leiden protein. If you inherited 1 Factor V Leiden gene from one parent, you have the
heterozygous type
of Factor V Leiden. from your other parent. In your body, you have 50% Factor V Leiden and 50% normal Factor V.
What does it mean to be heterozygous for Factor V Leiden?
Heterozygous means
that the 2 copies of a gene are different
. In your case, one of your Factor V gene codes is for normal clotting Factor V and the other Factor V gene code is for Factor V Leiden. There is more risk of a blood clot if both gene codes are for Factor V Leiden (ie in the homozygous state).