National Blood Clot Alliance Launches New Online Support Community for People Affected by Blood Clots in Conjunction With World Thrombosis Day

ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- In conjunction with the recognition of World Thrombosis Day today, the National Blood Clot Alliance (NBCA) announces the launch of its new online support community dedicated to the needs of people affected by life-threatening blood clots.

"The launch of NBCA's first-ever online support community responds to a widely recognized and growing interest in patient and caregiver support, and an opportunity for peer-to-peer sharing among the many people affected by blood clots," explains Randy Fenninger, NBCA CEO, who also is a blood clot survivor. "We are proud to now expand our services by providing a safe and supportive space where people affected by blood clots can gather, share their stories, and interact with other members."

The online National Blood Clot Alliance Stop the Clot® Support Community, powered by Inspire, is an important extension of the organization's Women & Blood Clots program, which NBCA recently introduced in partnership with the Alexandra L. Rowan Memorial Foundation. NBCA's new online support community now provides an important outlet where women can exchange information and share their personal experiences with deadly blood clots.

Women and other members of the blood clotting disorders community can join the NBCA Stop the Clot® Support Community at: www.inspire.com/groups/national-blood-clot-alliance/. NBCA will actively moderate and provide opportunities for learning and the exchange of information among members of this online blood clotting disorder community, including patients, caregivers, and also healthcare providers who may join in the conversation from time to time.

The Impact of Blood Clots in the U.S.

Up to 900,000 people in the United States each year are affected by blood clots in their legs (deep vein thrombosis or DVT) and blood clots in their lungs (pulmonary embolism or PE). Annually, up to 300,000 Americans – or one person in this country every six minutes – will die due to a blood clot in their lung. Blood clots do not discriminate. They affect men, women and children, regardless of race, ethnicity, and age. 

Some of the primary risk factors for blood clots include:

• Hospitalization is the single most important risk factor for developing deadly blood clots. People who are hospitalized (greater than or equal to three or more days) for acute illness have more than a ten-fold increased risk of developing a blood clot.
• Cancer is the second leading medical cause of death in the United States. Without steps to prevent blood clots, 40 to 80 percent of cancer patients who undergo surgery will develop a blood clot in their leg and 4 to 10 percent will develop a blood clot in their lung.  
• Pregnancy and childbirth also pose another major risk factor, and estrogen-based birth control and hormone therapies used to treat menopause symptoms also can increase blood clotting risks among women. 

Women & Blood Clots Information Portal, Resources

NBCA's Women and Blood Clots program has at its centerpiece an important new educational portal, www.womenandbloodclots.org, where women of all ages can learn about the blood clot risks associated with several crucial life stages, including: family planning and birth control, pregnancy and childbirth, and the treatment of menopause symptoms. Additional resources connected to this educational program include a four-part video series and striking infographic. To learn more about blood clots and clotting disorders in general, and also the signs and symptoms of blood clots, visit NBCA's website at www.stoptheclot.org. 

"The primary driver for NBCA's work in this arena has always rested with the ongoing challenge to increase recognition of blood clots," explains Fenninger. "Central to NBCA's mission is the need to equip Americans with the knowledge to ask their doctors proactively if they might be at risk for a blood clot. We welcome the opportunity to stand with more than 300 World Thrombosis Day partners around the globe to help amplify these important public health messages in the U.S. and abroad."

NBCA is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, voluntary health organization dedicated to advancing the prevention, early diagnosis and successful treatment of life-threatening blood clots, such as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and clot-provoked stroke. NBCA works on behalf of people who may be susceptible to blood clots, including, but not limited to, people with clotting disorders, atrial fibrillation, cancer, traumatic injury, and risks related to surgery, lengthy immobility, child birth and birth control. NBCA accomplishes its mission through programs that build public awareness, educate patients and healthcare professionals, and promote supportive public and private sector policy.

SOURCE National Blood Clot Alliance