Deep Vein Thrombosis-Mayo Clinic

John Heit, M.D., a cardiovascular physician at Mayo Clinic, received today a $1.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for its Genes, Environment and Health Initiative. Dr. Heit's grant will be used to study the genome-wide association of venous thrombosis (blood clots in the veins).

Deep vein thrombosis is a blood clot in a vein — a blood vessel that returns oxygen-depleted blood to your heart. These clots are different from those that form in an artery — a blood vessel that carries oxygen-rich blood from your heart to the rest of your body. Risk factors for developing DVT include surgery, hospitalization for medical illness, major trauma (especially a long bone fracture of the leg), cancer and neurological disorders that cause leg weakness.

When a blood clot (thrombus) develops in a vein, the danger is that it will break loose and travel to your lungs, where it can become stuck. This serious condition is known as a pulmonary embolism and, in some cases, the result is sudden death. It's estimated that each year about 1 million Americans have a DVT or pulmonary embolism episode; about one-third are fatal.

Dr. Heit discusses the need to examine the role of genetics in DVT and the need for increased awareness of DVT:

For more information from Mayo Clinic on DVT, click here: http://mayoclinic.com/health/deep-vein-thrombosis/DS01005

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Mayo
• Clinic
• Deep
• Vein
• Thrombosis
• DVT
• Vascular
• Disease
• Cardiovascular
• Heit
• NIH

[Lilandryn1]

I have 5 dvt's and they still do no know what caused them. Mine are in right upper extremity though and started when I was 25 years old.

[RichardTheo]

Do not sit for four hours with legs up on recliner chair and pressure on back of legs playing video games, as I did, or your will get a dvt as I did....Yes it did become a pe which is very serious...got lucky and with blood thiners am still alive...