Many common problems in clinical medicine and general practice relate to arterial and venous thrombosis. Thrombosis in veins (. venous thromboembolism, [VTE]) is a permanent problem in various cancers and following surgery, especially orthopaedic. Other risk factors include diabetes, smoking and obesity. It has recently been estimated that death due to VTE in the European Community exceeds those due to AIDS, breast cancer, prostate cancer and road traffic accidents combined (House of Commons Health Committee, 2005).
