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When blood is exposed to air, it clots. Heparin allows the blood to come in direct contact with air without clotting.
People about to have surgery must tell their health care providers about all supplements they take.
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, more than 50 million Americans have some kind of food allergy. Food allergies affect between 4 and 6% of children, and 4% of adults, according to the CDC. The most common food allergies include shellfish, peanuts, walnuts, fish, eggs, milk, and soy.
People with alcoholism are at a much greater risk of malnutrition than are other people and usually exhibit low levels of most vitamins (especially folic acid). This is because alcohol often takes the place of 50% of their daily intake of calories, with little nutritional value contained in it.
More than nineteen million Americans carry the factor V gene that causes blood clots, pulmonary embolism, and heart disease.