1,500,000 individuals in the USA will have an acute myocardial infarction per year; 50% will be fatal and 50% will be a premature/ precocious event. Thus, there are about 750,000 deaths from coronary artery thrombosis per year.  Of these coronary thrombotic events, 67% of patients harbor a coagulation blood protein or platelet defect leading to thrombosis.  Fifty percent of these coagulation protein or platelet defects will be hereditary, thus emphasizing the importance of defining the presence and type of defect in survivors of acute myocardial infarction (heart attacks).  Defining the defect will also allow one to optimize antithrombotic therapy for secondary prevention; this is the best way to make sure appropriate therapy can be delivered to decrease, as much as possible, another (potentially fatal) event. If the defect is hereditary, appropriate family members can be assessed and, when indicated, treated to potentially prevent the first event (heart attack).

Please feel free to contact us for more information or to join our electronic newsletter mailing list.