Health
Family history strong indicator of venous thrombosis risk
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted April 13, 2009
Having at least one relative with venous thrombosis is an indication of an increased chance of this disorder whether or not the patient carries any of the known genetic markers for it, according to a study in the March 23 Archives of Internal Medicine.
"Family history may be more useful for risk assessment than thrombophilia testing," wrote the authors from Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands.
Researchers analyzed blood samples and the family history of 1,605 patients experiencing venous thrombosis for the first time and compared them with 2,159 controls. A family history of this condition doubled the risk, irrespective of genetic makeup. The chances of this clotting problem grew fourfold if more than one relative was affected.
The risk also increased as the number of risk factors accumulated. Patients carrying a gene associated with venous thrombosis who had a family history of this disease, and had an environmental risk factor such as taking oral contraceptives or a period of extended bed rest, were 64 times more likely to experience this problem.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/04/13/hlbf0413.htm.
