THBD and atherosclerosis: Evidence for this comes from mouse models; although FVIII deficiency has had inconsistent effects in different mouse models of accelerated atherosclerosis (apolipoprotein E knockout mice vs. low‐density lipoprotein receptor null mice),30, 31 hypercoagulability (induced by a mutation in the thrombomodulin gene) appears to stimulate atherosclerosis with plaques being more unstable as mice age.32, 33