Its all in the genes: The difference between blood clotting and bleeding – Starts at 60

Over the last decade, there have been a handful of highly effective medications known as direct oral anticoagulant drugs which are more effective than warfarin, appear to be much safer and dont require regular blood tests nor do they require the same rigidity with diet, alcohol and the prescription of a variety of drugs. But, its important to note, the stronger the blood thinner, the stronger the risk of bleeding.

Interestingly, on the other hand, there are a small number of people in the community who have genetic bleeding disorders such as those with haemophilia or the lesser-known condition Von Willebrand disease. Again, if you have a strong family history or personal history of easy bleeding or bruising, its worth being investigated for these bleeding disorders.

On another note, over the years there have been some suggestions that once we reach the age of 50, we should take a daily aspirin as a preventative against heart attack and stroke. There are even some suggestions that theres a reduction in a variety of common cancers. So should we be taking aspirin daily? Three major studies released in 2018 suggested people shouldnt take aspirin purely as a preventative against cardiovascular disease. The cardiovascular preventative aspects were outweighed by increased bleeding risk and other problems.

For the vast majority of the population, we have a delicate balance between clotting and bleeding, but for those outliers who are at either an increased risk of clotting or, at the opposite end of the spectrum, increased risk for bleeding, its important that they have a careful assessment with their doctor.

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Its all in the genes: The difference between blood clotting and bleeding - Starts at 60