DVT/PE
DVT Recurrence
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
PTINR.com Staff
Once you've had a DVT, is a second one more likely?
Men have up to a 50% higher risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) over women according to researchers published in the British journal Lancet. The data is supported by a meta-analysis of more than 5,000 patients.
There were 816 new deep vein thrombosis (blood clots) that developed during the review of many studies between 1980 and 2005 - men were significantly more at risk of developing a new DVT than women.
Patients who have discontinued various treatments should not be alarmed. There are many factors that go into starting and stopping treatment of DVT. Patients with concern should discuss their risk of developing blood clots. Those patients placed on Coumadin (warfarin) can benefit from the improved control of the medication provided by weekly home INR testing.
Researchers cautioned against changing treatment duration based on the findings:
“We believe that it is too early to rely on patients' sex when determining the duration of anticoagulation in patients with idiopathic venous thromboembolism," researchers said. "Further prospective studies are needed before a firm recommendation can be made on this issue."
Patients should not start or stop any medication (prescription or over the counter) without consulting their physician.