title: When von Willebrand disease comes into age - a matter of change?
abstract: The population of elderly patients with von Willebrand Disease (VWD) is growing because of the improvement of medical care. The increase in comorbidities and their treatment as well as standard preventive measures like antiplatelet or anticoagulation therapy constitutes a challenge in the overall treatment of patients with coagulation disorders. Because of the lack of literature on older patients with VWD, we discuss different aspects related to ageing in those patients. Plasma levels of von Willebrand factor and factor VIII, bleeding symptoms, treatment requirements and comorbidities are possibly changing with age. Development of an evidence-based approach to the management of ageing VWD patients is therefore necessary.
authors.affiliation: Medical Clinic III, Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany. wolfgang.miesbach@kgu.de
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Miesbach
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Berntorp
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood; D003894:Deamino Arginine Vasopressin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005169:Factor VIII / Q000378:metabolism; D006487:Hemostasis; D006801:Humans; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D014884:Waterhouse-Friderichsen Syndrome; D014842:von Willebrand Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014841:von Willebrand Factor; C078147:F8 protein, human; D005169:Factor VIII; D003894:Deamino Arginine Vasopressin