Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
Vascular Medicine
This Article
Right arrow Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Web of Science (1)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Rathbun, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Rathbun, S.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

review-article

Venous thromboembolism in women

Suman Rathbun

Non-invasive Vascular Laboratories, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA suman-rathbun{at}ouhsc.edu

Abstract

The risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) varies throughout a woman's life and is associated primarily with underlying hormonal exposure. Alteration in hemostatic mechanisms, including resistance to activated protein C, may explain this altered risk. Initially, development of VTE with the use of contraception in young adulthood may reveal inherited thrombophilia. Pregnancy, and particularly the post-partum period, likely confer the greatest risk of VTE, but the absolute risk is small. Guidelines for prevention of VTE during pregnancy are based on personal or family history of VTE, and known inherited thrombophilia. Use of hormone replacement therapy later in life is associated with increased risk of VTE, and may be safest if given as an estrogen-only preparation to young postmenopausal women for less than 5 years. Universal screening for thrombophilia prior to pregnancy or initiating hormonal therapy is not recommended; however, selected testing in high-risk groups may be warranted. The lack of firm recommendations for the prevention of VTE in women highlights the need for future investigation aimed at identifying high-risk groups and evaluating the efficacy of prophylactic measures.

Key Words: contraception • hormone replacement therapy • pregnancy • venous thrombosis • women

Vascular Medicine, Vol. 13, No. 3, 255-266 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1358863X07085404
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?