NEJM Article

An Association between Atherosclerosis and Venous Thrombosis.

Italian researcher Dr. Paolo Prandoni and his colleagues conducted a study on 299 patients with deep venous thrombosis of the legs and 150 healthy people (et al., 2003). The researchers performed ultrasound examinations on the sample population to produce images of the carotid artery, the main artery in the brain. The researchers found that the incidence of plaques, the hallmark sign of atherosclerosis, were more than twice as prevalent in people with thrombosis as they were in healthy individuals. Prandoni, (et al., 2003) conclude: "There is an association between atherosclerotic disease and spontaneous venous thrombosis. Atherosclerosis may induce venous thrombosis, or the two conditions may share common risk factors" (2).

Atherosclerosis is known to cause a thickening of the blood which leads to clot formations that can block blood vessels. While more research needs conducted to validate Prandoni and company's hypotheses, if their conclusions are correct the clinical implications will be enormous. Preventing thrombosis could be achieved by similar lifestyle changes that slow the process of atherosclerosis. Further, in patients with spontaneous deepening thromboembolism, ultrasounds may reveal the presence of atherosclerosis which will allow physicians to control risk factors.

The research was a case-control study designed to evaluate the possible relationship

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exceeding 240 mg per deciliter (6.2 mmol per liter), or a fasting venous triglyceride level exceeding 250 mg per deciliter (2.8 mmol per liter) on at least two occasions, or by the use of lipid-lowering drugs. Ultrasonography of Carotid Arteries Bilateral assessment of the carotid arteries was performed by a trained operator who was unaware of the patients' clinical status. The test was carried out with an Apogee 800 Plus device (Advanced Technology Laboratories), with an 8.5-MHz probe for B-mode imaging and a 6-MHz probe for pulsed-wave color Doppler imaging according to standardized methods.35,36 Patients were examined in the supine position with their neck rotated 45 degrees in the direction opposite the site being examined. The carotid trunk was identified with the use of both B-mode and pulsed-wave color Doppler ultrasonography, and the following segments were examined: common carotid artery, carotid bifurcation, and internal and external carotid arteries. All arteries underwent longitudinal and transverse scanning as well as a flow analysis. Plaque was defined as a protrusion into the vessel lumen of at least 2 mm, as measured from the border between the adventitial and medial layers.35,36 The percentage of vessel obst

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