ABSTRACT
Venous thromboembolic disease (VTE), which includes both deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
and pulmonary embolism (PE), is estimated to affect approximately 10:10,000 of the
population of northern Europe annually. It has been recognized for over a century that
the incidence of DVT increases dramatically with age and is linked with malignancy
and pregnancy. Similar links have become apparent with surgery, medical in-patients and
long-haul travel. But it is only with the recent identification of prothrombotic plasma
abnormalities and physiological variations that the mechanisms involved in these links are
beginning to be understood. The challenge, for workers in this field, is to better define these
links and to determine the relevant interactions to improve prediction and prevention of VTE.
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
