Metabolic Syndrome: Are You At Risk of Blood Clots?

People with what’s known as the “metabolic syndrome” are vulnerable to recurring blood clots, new research shows. Metabolic syndrome is highly prevalent in Blacks, especially Black women.

Metabolic syndrome is a collection of conditions, including obesity, high blood sugar, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

These factors put people at risk for diabetes, heart disease and a type of blood clot known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), researchers say.

What the study shows

For the study, the researchers collected data on more than 151,000 patients diagnosed with DVT between 2004 and 2017.

The findings showed that 68% of those with DVT were also diagnosed with at least one of the components of metabolic syndrome.

Those who had a DVT, but none of the four components of the metabolic syndrome, had a DVT recurrence rate of 7%, the researchers said in a news release from the American Society of Hematology.

DVT patients with one component of metabolic syndrome had a 14% risk of additional blood clots, and those with two components had a 21% risk. For those with three components, that risk was 30%, and for those with all four components, the risk rose to 37%.