Blood Clots may be Hereditary

Blood clots could run in the family after a new study conducted by Swedish researchers revealed that if there are two or more siblings affected by blood clots in deep veins, such as in legs, it could increase the risk of similar problems among family members by more than 50 times. Known as venous thromboembolism (VTE), the condition causes blood clots in legs or the pelvis region and could spread to vital parts of the body such as heart, brain or lungs. If the condition is untreated, then it could even prove to be fatal.

Researchers led by Dr Bengt Zoller of Lund University in Malmo observed more than 45,000 patients of VTE and found that those who had two or more siblings with the same condition were 50 times more likely to develop VTE while the risk increased by two times if they had only one sibling with the condition.

“We found genetic factors are important in the risk for VTE. A sibling history of VTE is an important risk factor for VTE”, Dr Zoller said. The study has been published in the latest issue of the journal Circulation.

Source-Medindia