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Ifeanyichukwu Ifechidere: What If One of the Biggest Myth Fact About APS is Hidden in its Name?

Ifeanyichukwu Ifechidere/LinkedIn

Jun 25, 2026, 15:06

Ifeanyichukwu Ifechidere: What If One of the Biggest Myth Fact About APS is Hidden in its Name?

Ifeanyichukwu Ifechidere, Specialist Biomedical Scientist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“What if one of the biggest myths about Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) is hidden in its name?

When many healthcare professionals, students, and patients first hear the term Lupus Anticoagulant, they naturally assume one thing:

‘This must cause bleeding.’

In reality, the opposite is often true.

And that’s where one of the most misunderstood concepts in laboratory medicine begins.

MYTH: APS is primarily a bleeding disorder.

FACT: APS is predominantly a thrombotic disorder.

Individuals with APS are at increased risk of:

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
Pulmonary embolism
Stroke
Transient ischemic attacks
Pregnancy complications
Recurrent miscarriage

Yet in the laboratory, lupus anticoagulants can prolong phospholipid-dependent clotting tests such as the APTT.

This creates a fascinating paradox:

In vitro (in the test tube): clotting appears slower.

In vivo (in the patient): the risk of clotting is increased.

Another common myth:

‘A prolonged APTT means the patient cannot clot.’

Not necessarily.

For APS patients, a prolonged APTT may actually be the first laboratory clue that prompts further investigation for antiphospholipid antibodies.

This is why laboratory results should never be interpreted in isolation.

The numbers tell part of the story.

The patient’s clinical history tells the rest.

What should we remember about APS?

APS is not rare.

APS is not always obvious.

APS can affect individuals in the prime of their lives.

And for many patients, diagnosis only comes after years of unexplained symptoms, thrombotic events, or pregnancy losses.

As biomedical scientists and healthcare professionals, our role extends beyond generating results.

It involves understanding the science, challenging misconceptions, and helping ensure the right diagnosis is made at the right time.

A message to those living with APS:

Your condition is often invisible to others, yet the challenges you face are very real.

The resilience required to navigate uncertainty, treatments, medical appointments, and life with a chronic autoimmune disorder deserves recognition.

Thank you for sharing your experiences, raising awareness, and teaching healthcare professionals lessons that no textbook can fully capture.

Your strength continues to inspire both patients and professionals alike.

What is the biggest misconception about APS that you’ve encountered in clinical practice, the laboratory, or as a patient?

Let’s raise awareness together.”

Find more posts featuring Ifeanyichukwu Ifechidere on Hemostasis Today.