A thrombus is a solid mass formed by the coagulation of blood within the circulatory system, in response to an injury or an abnormality in blood flow, they explain from the Clínica Universidad de Navarra (CUN).
It is a complex process of chain reactions, in which blood cells called platelets and blood proteins called coagulation factors are involved, and which can have serious consequences for health if it is not detected and treated properly, according to this same source. .
Once formed, the thrombus can remain in the place where it formed, or break away and travel through the circulatory system to other parts of the body, according to CUN.
Whether it remains stationary, for example in an artery that supplies blood to the heart or brain, or moves through the circulatory system and also reaches those two organs, in both cases blocking blood flow, a thrombus can lead to a heart attack or stroke, they point out.
“The most common cause of intracardiac thrombi, that is, they are located or occur within the cardiac chambers, is atrial fibrillation (AF),” explains Dr. Tomas Datino, head of the Arrhythmia Unit at the Quirónsalud University Hospital (www. .quironsalud.com/hospital-madrid).
Atrial fibrillation and intracardiac clots.
AF consists of an irregular and abnormal heart rhythm that normally causes very rapid heartbeats and is the most common arrhythmia or heart rhythm disturbance, according to the Spanish Heart Foundation (FEC).
“This pathology produces a rapid and irregular contraction of the atrium that causes the blood to circulate more slowly and with a turbulent flow, which facilitates the formation of thrombi,” explains Dr. Datino.
This cardiologist explains that “thrombi generally form in the ‘atrial appendage’, which according to the CUN (www.cun.es) is a small cavity located in the upper part of the left atrium of the heart, whose function is to act as a a kind of reservoir for blood flowing to the atria.
According to Datino, “to prevent the appearance of thrombi, the use of anticoagulants may be necessary,” which according to the CUN, are substances that have the capacity to hinder the blood clotting process, such as heparins, pentasaccharides, oral anticoagulants and direct inhibitors. of thrombin.
An alternative to anticoagulation, especially in patients who cannot receive this therapy, consists of implanting a device that occludes the appendage, preventing the formation of clots derived from atrial fibrillation without the need to subject the patient to anticoagulant therapy,” he says. Datino.
From the legs to the brain through the heart.
But “thrombi or blood clots do not only form in the heart; They can also be generated in the veins of the legs, in a pathology known as deep vein thrombosis,” according to this renowned cardiologist.
“These thrombi can migrate from the leg to the right atrium. A third of people have a hole between the two atria that should have closed at birth, but has not, and which is called foramen ovale,” Datino continues.
He points out that thrombi that reach the right atrium from the legs can reach the left atrium through the foramen ovale and finally reach the brain.
“Therefore, in these cases it may be necessary to close the foramen ovale and prevent its permeability so that thrombi do not pass from the legs to the brain causing stroke,” explains the specialist at the Quirónsalud Madrid University Hospital.
In short, “the diseased heart or vessels can generate thrombi capable of circulating through the bloodstream and migrating to the brain and, when they reach the narrowest vessels, they can cause a lack of irrigation in different brain areas and cause a stroke,” details Datino. .
“These thrombi can cause cerebral infarctions, and generate a type of dementia, if they are very extensive and repetitive,” he adds.
According to Dr. Datino, to avoid the formation of blood clots and take care of the heart and brain, it is very important to maintain good cardiovascular health.
People who have poorer cardiovascular health are the most prone to blood clots, which generally form at the level of the heart or at the level of the vessels (in the wall of the arteries), with the accumulation of atherosclerosis, as he points out.
“The factors that favor a greater possibility of generating blood clots are smoking, high blood pressure, having high cholesterol, suffering from diabetes and a sedentary lifestyle. They are correctable factors that, if avoided or prevented, greatly reduce the risk of developing thrombi and cardiac and brain pathologies associated with them,” the Quirónsalud specialist explains to EFE.
In general, “those most likely to develop blood clots are hypertensive and/or diabetic people,” he specifies.
“The preventive measure that has the most impact on people with risk factors for blood clot formation is to stop smoking. Furthermore, it is important to lead a healthy life with an adequate diet (low in fats and sugars) and an active life in which physical exercise is present, choosing the one that each person likes,” concludes Dr. Datino.
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