Hughes Syndrome
Antiphospholipid Syndrome, otherwise known as Hughes Syndrome or "sticky blood" can cause a wide range of clinical problems including migraine, deep vein thrombosis, memory loss or heart attack. It is thought to be a major contributory factor in :
One in 5 of all strokes in people under 40
A quarter of all people with multiple miscarriages
20% of sufferers of DVTs ("economy class syndrome")
Case Studies
There are many instances of sufferers who were confined to wheelchairs before diagnosis and who now lead normal lives after proper treatment for Hughes Syndrome. People desperate for children who suffered multiple miscarriages now enjoy their enriched family lives with their sons and daughters. Sufferers who were wrongly diagnosed, spending large sums on medication, aids and treatments for diseases which they did not have, are now properly diagnosed and treated. Details are available from APS Support UK (formerly the Hughes Syndrome Foundation), which you can join for a nominal annual sum, and from their website.
Common indicators of the condition include severe migraine and memory loss, loss of sensation and movement disorders. Many cases are wrongly diagnosed as Alzheimers Disease or Multiple Sclerosis.
Diagnosis
Hughes Syndrome can be diagnosed by means of two simple blood tests. Because the antibodies in the blood can increase or decrease, not everyone who is a sufferer will record positive every time they are tested for Hughes Syndrome. The major advance with the studies into Hughes Syndrome is DIAGNOSIS. If correct diagnosis can be made, huge improvements follow with correct treatment. Huge sums are wasted with the prescribing of unnecessary, incorrect and expensive drug therapy. Two out of five of Dr Hughes’ Antiphospholipid patients at St Thomas ’ Hospital in London have previously been misdiagnosed and treated with expensive drugs to treat MS, which does the patients no good at all.
Treatment
The condition is often easily treated with blood thinners, or anticoagulants, such as aspirin, heparin or warfarin. Dr Graham Hughes, a Consultant Rheumatologist at St Thomas ’ Hospital, London , first reported the condition in his clinic and laboratory some twenty years ago. He noticed that in some patients the blood clots too quickly, and the consequences include strokes, heart attacks and recurrent miscarriage. Many millions of people around the world suffer from Hughes Syndrome, and its contribution to serious illness and death is only recently becoming recognised.
Pregnancy & Hughes Syndrome
In pregnant women sufferers, the blood is often unable to flow through the small and delicate blood vessels to the placenta and foetus. The placenta withers, and the baby is aborted. Hughes Syndrome has come to be regarded as an important cause of recurrent miscarriage. Pregnancy success rate in diagnosed and treated patients has increased from under 20% to over 70%.
Flying & Hughes Syndrome
Patients who test positive for Hughes Syndrome should take medical advice before long-haul air trips if they are not anticoagulated. Many incidences of deep vein thrombosis after such flights – so-called ‘economy class syndrome’ – are now believed to be a result of Hughes Syndrome, not the cramped conditions of the aircraft.
Further information about Hughes Syndrome is available at:
APS Support UK www.aps-support.org.uk
(New name for Hughes Syndrome Foundation)
The Orchard
White Hart Lane
basingstole
Hants RG21 4AF
Phone: 0300 323 9943 or 01256 423896
Charity Number: 1138116
Netdoctor
www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/antiphospholipid.htm
Home Health UK
BBC
www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/hughessyndrome1.shtml
Discovery Health
St Thomas' Lupus Trust
The contents of this website are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for medical advice or treatment. You should promptly seek professional medical care if you have any concern about your health.
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