Von Willebrand Factor

Von Willebrand Factor (VWF) is a blood test that detects the presence of VWF protein. It is related to clotting factor VIII and is essential in blood clotting. VWF assesses how much protein is present in your blood and how well it functions in blood clotting. The function of VWF is to stop bleeding by forming a clot at the site of the injury. If there is a deficiency of VWF, it will cause bleeding tendencies leading to Von Willebrand Disease.

If you suffer from frequent bleeds from the nose, urine, stools, post-surgery, excessive menstruation, etc., or have a family history of bleeding tendencies, your VWF may be checked. After performing initial screening tests to rule out bleeding disorders, a VWF test will be ordered.