Natural protection against blood clots
The coagulation system is balanced by the anticoagulation system, and antithrombin III is its key component: it inactivates thrombin and a number of other coagulation factors. Hereditary deficiency of antithrombin III is one of the most severe forms of thrombophilia: the risk of venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism increases many times, and thrombosis occurs at a young age and often recurs. Acquired decrease develops in severe liver diseases, nephrotic syndrome, disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome and long-term heparin therapy. There is an important practical point: heparin works only in the presence of antithrombin III, therefore, if there is a deficiency of it, the drug is ineffective - this is the classic cause of “heparin resistance”, and without determining the indicator it cannot be recognized.
How to prepare to donate blood
- on an empty stomach 8–12 hours, you can drink water
- Eliminate alcohol and intense exercise per day
- no smoking in an hour
- donate blood before physiotherapy, x-rays and massage
- Take medications in advance by agreeing with your doctor
How to read the result
Reference values depend on the method and equipment of the laboratory, so it is correct to compare results only within the same laboratory. A deviation of a few percent from the normal limit in itself rarely matters - the overall picture and dynamics are important.
The analysis must be interpreted by a doctor: an isolated indicator without a clinical context is often misleading and leads to unnecessary examinations.