TUESDAY, March 6 (HealthDay News) -- Vice President Dick Cheney's diagnosis of a blood clot in his leg has focused needed attention on this common and potentially life-threatening problem, heart experts say.
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is caused by the appearance of a clot in a larger vein, typically in the leg. The clot can break off and travel through the bloodstream before lodging in the lungs, brain, heart, or other organ, causing severe damage or death.
DVT is typically referred to as "economy class syndrome" because
it can strike people who travel long distances on a plane. But it
also poses risks to anyone who has endured prolonged sitting or bed
rest. Other risk factors include
"DVT ranges from a minimal inconvenience to something that is potentially life-threatening," said Dr. Stephen Siegel, a cardiologist at New York University Medical Center and a clinical assistant professor at NYU School of Medicine.
A typical symptom of DVT is a continuous pain in the calf,
Siegel said. "It is frequently associated with some redness or
In severe cases, a patient can have difficulty breathing, chest
pain or
Cheney's condition, which was made public Tuesday, may have been brought on by his 25,000-mile trip to Asia last week, despite the comfort of Air Force Two.
In addition, he has had a long history of heart ailments. He had
four heart attacks before he assumed office in 2001. He has an
implanted defibrillator to regulate his heartbeat if necessary.
And, in 2005, he underwent six hours of surgery on both legs to
repair a kind of
