San Diego, CA (AHN) As many as 2.5 million women may have an undiagnosed bleeding disorder that, if not properly treated, could lead to serious health problems, medical experts told a mostly female audience at the National Hemophilia Foundation's (NHF) 57th Annual Meeting on Thursday.

Women with some forms of Von Willebrand Disease (VWD) are at much higher risk for miscarriage, life-threatening bleeding following surgery and childbirth, and for undergoing unnecessary hysterectomies.

Von Willebrand disease, a very common hereditary bleeding disorder in the United States, affects between three to six million Americans, nearly half of whom are women.

Since VWD disguises itself as a gynecological problem, most are unaware they suffer from the disorder.

"Von Willebrand disease can be diagnosed from the patient's history and the results of blood tests. A timely diagnosis is helpful in ensuring appropriate treatment and preventing complications," says Andra James, MD, director of the Women's Hemostasis and Thrombosis Clinic at Duke University, chair of Project Red Flag's Women with Bleeding Disorders Task Force, and a woman with von Willebrand disease. "The key is awareness of the symptoms or 'red flags' that both women and their doctors should recognize and act on."