You know the symptoms of a heart attack. You probably know the signs of a stroke. But do you know what deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) aims to fix that. The CDC has given the Vascular Disease Foundation (VDF) a $1 million grant to develop a public awareness program about blood clots over the next 5 years.

WHAT IS DVT?
It is a clot that primarily forms in the deep veins of the legs and may break off and go to the lung arteries. Clots can also occur in an arm or in the pelvis, but 90% or more come from a leg. Called a pulmonary embolism (PE) if the clot travels to the lung, DVT affects just as many people every year as heart attacks and strokes.

Risk factors include hospital stays for surgery or medical illness, any extended bed rest, paralysis, and cancer. Obesity, smoking and long-haul travel (such as a long airplane flight) increase a person's risk of developing DVT. Also, if you have a family member with a history of DVT, you should take extra precaution.

Symptoms and Prevention
How do you know if you have DVT? Symptoms include swelling, pain, tenderness, and redness in one leg. It is rare to have DVT occur in both legs. If the clot travels to a lung, the symptoms are very similar to a heart attack—sudden shortness of breath and chest pain. If the clot makes it to the lung, the person might also cough up blood. PE can cause sudden collapse and death.

Preventing DVT can be fairly simple. If you know your family has a history of DVT, you should let your health care provider know prior to any surgery. They can then prescribe blood thinners to stop a clot from developing. There are also mechanical measures that can be taken in the hospital to stimulate the blood in the calves. On your own, you can wear compression socks to help keep the calf muscle stimulated. During a long plane or car ride, be sure to get up and walk around.

Educating Women About DVT
The CDC grant creates a program to educate the public about DVT that is directed specifically to women. Dr. Suman Rathbun, Director of Vascular Medicine at the University of Oklahoma and one of the main investigators for the grant, explains that women were chosen as the target for two reasons. First, because they make the majority of health care decisions for their families, and second, because they have unique risk factors due to hormonal changes from birth control methods, childbirth, and menopause.

“Women and men have an equal risk for DVT,” says Dr. Rathbun. “But women have unique risk factors because of hormones and because they make 70% to 80% of the health care decisions for their families. Targeting women is important.”

According to Dr. Rathbun, about 600,000 people in the United States are affected by DVT and PE every year. It is estimated that about 100,000 people die as a result of this kind of blood clot.

“There have been lots of studies coming out saying that DVT is important and the public doesn't know anything about it,” says Dr. Rathbun. “We need to educate the public. DVT and PE kill more people every year than AIDS, breast cancer, and traffic accidents combined. The nice thing is, unlike cancer or AIDS, we can more easily prevent the majority of DVT occurrences, save lives, and save health care resources.”

Creating Public Awareness
There are two parts to the grant's education program. The first is to recognize the risk factors for DVT because effective prevention is available. The second part is ensuring that the public knows the signs and symptoms of DVT.

Working with Dr. Tom Ortel at Duke University and the VDF staff, Dr. Rathbun and the team have created numerous ways to get this education out. “I am used to scientific grants. This is a public awareness grant, so we have employed people with expertise in public awareness,” says Dr. Rathbun. The team has partnered with Spirit of Women® during the grant's first year. Spirit of Women is a private group that works with more than 75 hospitals to provide health care education for women.

Through the grant, Dr. Rathbun hopes that the public will not only understand how common DVT is, but also learn the signs and risks. By educating the public, especially women, the study will provide them the knowledge they need to be their own advocate. “This is a public health crisis. That is why the CDC is putting resources into this,” she said.