A Mutation Present in 18% of People with Blood Clots
The prothrombin 20210 mutation is a specific alteration of the prothrombin gene, which has been found to be present in 18% of people with a blood clot. It is associated with higher levels of prothrombin (which is a clotting protein) and increases the risk of a blood clot three-fold.
Age-related increases in coagulation proteins, specifically increased levels of factors VIII, IX and XI, have also been linked to an increased risk of clotting.
This mutation is also linked to other clotting events such as coronary artery disease (particularly in young women and people with stroke), venous blood clots, clots in the mesenteric vein, and clots in the central retinal artery or portal vein.