How you got that clot

LONDON, August 17 (SPIS MedWire). An elevated plasma level of factor VIII is a known risk factor for venous thromboembolism but, according to a report in today's New England Journal of Medicine it is also strongly predictive of recurrence of the condition. Kyrle et al from Vienna University Hospital used data from the ongoing Austrian Study on Recurrent Venous Thrombosis to prospectively evaluate the relationship between raised factor VIII levels and recurrence in 360 patients who had already had a first episode of venous thrombosis. Over an average follow-up period of 30 months, during which oral anticoagulation was discontinued, 38 patients had recurrence of thromboembolism (24 deep vein thrombosis, 14 pulmonary embolism). Patients with recurrence had higher mean (±SD) plasma levels of factor VIII than those without recurrence (182±66 vs 157±54 IU/dl, p=0.009). The relative risk of recurrent venous thrombosis was 1.08 (95% CI 1.04–1.12) for each...