The D-dimer is a blood test used to find out if you have a blood clot disorder. The test helps doctors rule out two conditions that can be fatal: deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot in a vein, and pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in the lung.
These clots can be so tiny and scattered that they bypass standard typical detection methods.
What is D-dimer?
A D-dimer is one of the protein fragments produced when a blood clot gets dissolved in the body. It is normally undetectable or detectable at a very low level unless the body is forming and breaking down blood clots. Then, its level in the blood can significantly rise. This D-dimer test detects D-dimer in the blood.
A D-dimer blood test may often be ordered when someone has symptoms of a blood clot such as:
- Leg pain or tenderness
- Leg swelling or edema
- Discoloration of the legs
- Shortness of breath and labored breathing
- Coughing
- Blood present in the sputum
- Chest pain
- Rapid heart rate
Other symptoms of clotting that may indicate cerebral thrombosis on a capillary level can include:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
There may be thousands of tiny little clots in your brain that will not show up on a standard brain scan. The D-dimer blood test will detect these tiny clots. Other individuals that may require a D-dimer blood test would include anyone who feels they are getting tired more quickly while doing normal everyday activities. They may have thousands of capillaries in their lungs that are blocked with tiny clots. Some of these cases may lead to pulmonary artery hypertension or high blood pressure in the lungs and over a period of a few years can be quite serious.
Risk Factors
People with blood clots often have one or more of the same risk factors. These may include:
- Heart disease: Patients with unstable angina or who have had a heart attack have higher levels of D-dimer and a higher risk of future blood clots.
- Cancer: Some cancers can increase the risk of a blood clot.
- Cancer treatment: Chemotherapy and certain breast cancer drugs can increase the risk of blood clots.
- Treatment with estrogen: Birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy can increase the risk of DVT and PE.
- Surgery: Patients who have had major surgery, like a hip or knee replacement, have a higher risk of a blood clot.
- Infectious diseases: COVID-19 and pneumonia can cause inflammation and trigger blood clots.
- Kidney disease: For reasons that aren’t fully understood, kidney disease increases the risk of DVT and PE.
- Liver cirrhosis: People with severe liver disease have a higher risk of clots in the large vein of the liver.
- Pregnancy: D-dimer levels rise two- to four-fold by delivery. Women have an increased risk of DVT or PE for up to three months after delivery.
If a D-dimer test is positive, it is often indicated that further diagnostic procedures would be required such as ultrasound, CT, angiography, etc. Elevated levels of D-dimer occur in a number of clinical situations and are not diagnostic of any specific condition. Levels of D-dimer can be increased in individuals with cancer, underlying inflammation, atherosclerotic vascular disease, pregnancy, liver disease and can be elevated in older age.
Getting prompt treatment increases your chances of surviving and avoiding other medical problems.
You can order a D-dimer test through Science Based Wellness. Just call our office for details and pricing at 904-834-2337.
The following are a couple of natural supplements we use for “blood thinners” if you are looking for a less aggressive alternative to prescriptions medications. Always check with your doctor before you begin taking anything new to make sure it will not interfere with any current medications you may already be taking:
Ortho Mega 820 Fish Oil
Nutri-E 400 Forte (Vitamin E)
Until next time, stay healthy.
Dr. Steven M. Nickels, DC, NMD, DACBN, DCBCN