Obesity in early pregnancy increases long-term risk of venous thromboembolism

Medical Life Sciences
Sep 07, 2023

Obesity in early pregnancy increases long-term risk of venous thromboembolism


Background

VTE is a medical condition when a blood clot forms in a vein. It is the third most common form of acute cardiovascular disease, after myocardial infarction and stroke.

There are two forms of VTE: pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Globally, around 10 million VTE cases are documented annually. The VTE prevalence rate is expected to significantly increase to 700 per 100,000 in individuals above 70 years of age due to the rise in life expectancy.  

In the last decade, the prevalence of obesity, being overweight, and severe obesity has significantly increased among youths. The World Health Organization (WHO) documented that the prevalence of obesity increased approximately three times between 1975 and 2016.