Without platelets, we would die pretty easily. The microscopic plate-shaped structures in our bloodstream rush to the site of an injury, forming clots that stop blood loss and help stimulate the ...

The field of immunological tolerance increasingly highlights the multifaceted roles played by platelets far beyond their classical functions in hemostasis.

Thrombocytopenia and hemophilia are two conditions that can affect the body’s ability to form blood clots. Although they have similar symptoms, they have different causes and treatments. When a person ...

Platelets contain and can synthesize molecules capable of modulating adaptive and innate immune responses. In systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), platelets are activated, their abundance often ...

Primary thrombocytopenia is an autoimmune disorder that causes a low number of platelets in the blood. Other names for it are immune thrombocytopenia and ITP. Platelets are specialized blood cells ...

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am 33 years old and recently had an annual physical and routine blood work. I'm active with two children and feel fantastic, but my platelet count came back as 651. My health care ...

If you have low blood platelet levels, it’s known as thrombocytopenia, or “thin blood.” It’s not always usually a cause for concern but can be a sign of an underlying condition. Your bloodstream has ...

One of the side effects of aspirin is reduced platelet function. Aspirin can potentially make issues with blood clotting worse. Thrombocytopenia is the medical term for low platelet count. Platelets ...

When the polar vortex froze out residents in much the United States in January, it also sent chills through the U.S. blood system, especially for people who needed platelets. “If you are safely able ...