Introduction

Every year, thousands of people in the UK develop a blood clot in a vein. It's known as venous thromboembolism (VTE) and is a serious, potentially fatal, medical condition. VTE is the collective name for: deep vein thrombosis (DVT) a blood clot in in one of the deep veins in the body, usually in one of the legs pulmonary embolism a blood clot in the blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the lungs Although serious, most blood clots can be completely avoided. The key is to be aware if you're at risk and take some simple preventative steps. This articleis about blood clots in veins. If you want information on blood clots in arteries, which is a common cause of heart attack and stroke, see the topic on arterial thrombosis.