Thrombophilia testing for the prevention of recurrent venous thromboembolism

Thrombophilia is the term used to describe an hereditary or acquired predisposition to thromboembolism (the formation of a venous clot), which manifests itself as either deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE). The presence of thrombophilia can be tested and many people with venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism nowadays have their blood tested for a deficiency in natural anticoagulants such as antithrombin, protein C, or protein S. However, the benefits of these costly tests are uncertain. The most important benefit would be a reduction in the risk of developing a new venous clot by taking preventative measures. To date no high quality trials have assessed this issue.