The effect of obesity on the rate of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

: Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) occurs in patients receiving heparin-containing products due to the formation of platelet-activating antibodies to heparin and platelet factor 4. Diagnosis includes utilization of a scoring system known as the 4-T score, and HIT laboratory assays. Recently, obesity was identified as a potential factor associated with the development of HIT.