"I suffered from DVT just over six years ago when I was in my mid-twenties, and the experience was daunting. Not necessarily because of the clots per se, those were treatable, but because it took several trips to doctors and the ER before I had an accurate diagnosis and started to receive appropriate treatment," comments Traci Wilkes Smith. "I am reaching out to others to let them know to ask more questions and be more aggressive if you suspect something is wrong. Know the signs and be an informed patient, it could save your life."

Approximately 350,000 to 600,000 Americans suffer from DVT and PE each year, and at least 100,000 deaths may be directly or indirectly related to these diseases. African Americans have a remarkable 30 percent higher risk of DVT and PE than the Caucasian population.

According to Samuel Z. Goldhaber, MD, president of the Venous Disease Coalition and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, "With prompt diagnosis and treatment, the majority of DVTs are not life threatening. We can help reduce deaths from these serious yet often preventable conditions through education and outreach to at-risk groups including African Americans."

Source: venousdiseasecoalition