Von Willebrand factor (VWF) is a blood clotting protein that interacts with platelets in your blood to form a plug to prevent blood from flowing at the site of injury. Von Willebrand disease occurs when VWF does not function properly or if there are insufficient levels of VWF in the blood.

Symptoms of von Willebrand disease include bruising easily, frequent nosebleeds, long-lasting bleeding from cuts, bleeding gums and heavy menstrual periods. Symptoms and the severity of bleeding vary from person to person and from episode to episode.

Von Willebrand disease is a genetic disease that can be inherited from either parent and is the most common inherited bleeding disorder. A man or woman with von Willebrand disease has a 50% chance of passing the gene on to their child.

Our blood test helps to investigate whether your symptoms could be caused by von Willebrand disease.