2008-09-15

 (WASHINGTON) – The American Society of Hematology (ASH), the world’s largest professional society of blood specialists, supports the U.S. Surgeon General’s Call to Action on Deep-Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE), which seeks to raise public awareness of this blood condition; increase research on the causes, prevention, and treatment of DVT and PE; and share evidence-based practices. The Society applauds the Surgeon General’s efforts to recognize that DVT and PE, known collectively as venous thromboembolism, are a serious public health problem and affect people of all ages. Older adults, women on hormone replacement therapy, and women on birth control are at substantially increased risk for this disorder.

"Venous thromboembolism affects almost 1 million Americans annually and is a leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.," said Roy S. Silverstein, MD, Chair, ASH Committee on Government Affairs. "In fact, the estimated number of deaths from PE is higher than the combined number of deaths from breast cancer, HIV disease, and motor vehicle crashes."

Hematologists treat venous thromboembolism and are at the forefront of research advances that address this serious public health problem. A manifestation of venous thromboembolism, DVT is a type of clot that forms in a major vein of the leg or, less commonly, in the arms, pelvis, or other large veins in the body. In some cases, a clot may detach from its point of origin and travel through the heart to the lungs where it becomes wedged, preventing adequate blood flow. This is called a pulmonary (lung) embolism (PE) and can be extremely dangerous.

Yet, because of the lack of an established surveillance or public health tracking system, these numbers are estimates. In order to collect more accurate data and to evaluate whether national programs are influencing the disease burden of DVT and PE, ASH is encouraging Congress to support the development of a national thrombosis surveillance system at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A national tracking system will help both physicians and patients understand the condition’s true impact on public health and, ultimately, help prevent, diagnose, and treat DVT and PE. The Society also continues to support funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), CDC, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and other federal agencies to enable research into prevention, treatment, and cures of DVT and PE as well as other blood-related diseases.

Reporters who wish to arrange an interview with Roy S. Silverstein, MD, may contact Wendy Stokes at 202-776-0544 or wstokes@hematology.org.

The American Society of Hematology (www.hematology.org) is the world's largest professional society concerned with the causes and treatment of blood disorders. Its mission is to further the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders affecting blood, bone marrow, and the immunologic, hemostatic, and vascular systems, by promoting research, clinical care, education, training, and advocacy in hematology.