APS Support UK News

Our 2014 charity Christmas cards are now on sale from our website . We have seven new designs and hope we have something for everyone's taste as this is a great way to raise awareness of APS/Hughes syndrome as well as help sustain our charity.  Thank you if you are able to support us this way.

We are pleased to be part of the World Thrombosis Day global movement that aims to raise awareness of the risks and prevalence of thrombosis. This is clearly something that means a lot to anyone with APS/Hughes syndrome. World Thrombosis Day is being held on Monday 13th October - please click here to learn more about it and how you can help raise awareness.

The International Congress on Antiphospholipid Antibodies (aPL) is held every three years to discuss the recent advances and future directions in aPL and Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS).  The next meeting is going to be held on 21st-24th September 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey and will be chaired by Professor Doruk Erkan.  The 15th International Congress on aPL, with the support of Turkish Society of Rheumatology, will cover a very comprehensive program including: Evidence-based state-of-the art presentations from internationally recognized physicians and scientists Task Force discussions and presentations covering the controversial aspects of diagnosis and management Oral and poster submitted abstract presentations Meet the professor sessions Patient sessions guided by leaders in the field You can register online and read more about the congress by clicking here .

Our annual Patients' Day was a roaring success this year, with 83% of the attendees rating it as 'excellent'. However, we know that lots of you can't make it due to work/family/health/geograp hic commitments, so are pleased to let you know that you can now listen to a free You Tube recording of the speakers along with the slides of their presentations.  We hope you find it useful: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsOlR9d1jRjQMQJLidbvD4aQfBiUWOA7U&feature=mh_lolz

You are invited to join us at the national Patients' Day being held on the afternoon of Wednesday 14th May 2014 at St Thomas' Hospital, London. The cost of Patients' Day is £20 for members of the Hughes Syndrome Foundation charity, to include you and a guest, and £40 for non-members. If you want to learn more about this unique opportunity and reserve your place, please visit our website and register online .  

Thanks to actress Holly Matthews, the popular BBC1 series Casualty featured a storyline in which APS was prominent.  It was made clear it was a serious blood clotting disorder and this storyline dealt with pulmonary embolism, miscarriage and the possibility of it being hereditary. Click to see the episode Blood is Thicker than Water: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d0ThdYx7uY&feature=youtu.be&hd=1

Not wishing to panic anyone, but a recent study has found that if you had shingles under the age of 40, your risk of stroke and heart attack increases dramatically. This is especially pertinent as our recent Health Unlocked online poll showed that 38% of people with Hughes/APS had suffered shingles. The main thing you can do is to make sure you're on blood thinners and reduce your stroke and heart attack risks. Click here to read the story