The creation of blot clots are an essential process for when you get a cut or during an operation, to stop your body losing too much blood. However, there are many factors which can lead to your blood clotting too much or under abnormal circumstances; potentially causing thromboembolism, which can lead to severe and life-threatening health conditions. 

Use this check list to address your risk of developing harmful blot clots.

c	Age – risk increases from age 40.
c	Gender - males (white bars in chart) are at a higher risk, however as there are usually more elderly women (black bars in chart) in the population, their statistics are higher than men.
c	Weight – being overweight or obese increases the risk of blood clots.
c	Reduced mobility Immobile for at least 3 days. Lengthy stay in hospital. Bedridden. Sitting for long periods - relaxing, work or travel (4+ hours).

c	Cancer.
c	Atrial fibrillation.
c	Exercise - certain types of sports with repetitive actions have shown to produce blood clots.

c	High blood pressure.
c	Cardiovascular disease.
c	Women. Pregnancy, postpartum and up to 3 months after childbirth. Oral contraceptives (oestrogen-based). Hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

c	Abnormal or genetic factors. Factor V leiden. Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Thrombophilia.
c	Inflammation and inflammatory or autoimmune conditions (for example rheumatoid arthritis).
c	Oxidative stress.
c	Uric acid.

The more risk factors you have the risk of developing a thromboembolism increases.

Approximately 80% of patients who experience venous thromboembolism (VTE) will have a least one and potentially multiple identifiable risk factors.

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To read more about some of these risk factors for thromboembolism, please visit the Thrombosis Australia website.

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References

• Engbers, M. J., Van Hylckama Vlieg, A., & Rosendaal, F. R. (2010). Venous thrombosis in the elderly: incidence, risk factors and risk groups. Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 8(10), 2105–2112. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1538-7836.2010.03986.x
• McLendon K, Goyal A, Attia M. Deep Venous Thrombosis Risk Factors. [Updated 2023 Mar 17]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470215/
• Edebiri, O., & Ní Áinle, F. (2022). Risk factors, diagnosis and management of venous thromboembolic disease in pregnancy. Breathe (Lausanne, Switzerland), 18(2), 220018–220018. https://doi.org/10.1183/20734735.0018-2022
• Linnemann, B., Weingarz, L., Schindewolf, M., Schwonberg, J., Weber, A., Herrmann, E., & Lindhoff-Last, E. (2014). Prevalence of established risk factors for venous thromboembolism according to age. Journal of Vascular Surgery. Venous and Lymphatic Disorders (New York, NY), 2(2), 131–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvsv.2013.09.006
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/deep-vein-thrombosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20352557