Patent ID: 7264936

Claim:
A method for determining whether a blood sample has a hereditary propensity for hypercoagulability comprising steps of: identifying a group of genetic and metabolic procoagulant factors that each when defective contribute to procoagulant modulation of a coagulation cascade in blood; the genetic and metabolic procoagulant factors comprising a Protein C factor, a Protein S factor, an antithrombin factor, an activated protein C resistance factor, a prothrombin factor, a plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 factor, a lipoprotein (a) factor, and a homocysteine factor; wherein a defect in the Protein C factor comprises a decreased Protein C activity; a defect in the Protein S factor comprises a decreased Protein S activity; a defect the antithrombin factor comprising decreased antithrombin levels, a defect in the activated protein C resistance factor comprising an activated protein C resistance, a defect in the prothrombin factor comprising increased prothrombin levels, a defect in the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 factor comprising increased plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels, a defect in the lipoprotein (a) factor comprising increased lipoprotein (a) levels, and a defect in the homocysteine factor comprising increased homocysteine levels; providing a blood sample; testing the blood sample to determine whether any of the genetic and metabolic procoagulant factors of the group of genetic and metabolic procoagulant factors is defective; and if at least one of the genetic and metabolic procoagulant factors of the group of genetic and metabolic procoagulant factors is defective, diagnosing the blood sample as having a hereditary propensity for hypercoagulability.