Arterial and venous thrombosis: What's the link? A narrative review

Arterial thrombosis and venous thromboembolism (VTE) are traditionally considered two different entities. However, patients with unprovoked VTE are at higher risk of developing subclinical and overt atherosclerosis compared to healthy controls challenging these distinctions. Obesity may explain the association between arterial and venous disease: overweight/obese patients are prone to stasis in lower limbs veins, chronic inflammation, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus; all of which result in a hypercoagulability, VTE, and atherosclerosis. Novel therapeutic approaches combining and re-purposing traditional arterial therapies (antiplatelets and statins) and venous thrombosis therapies (anticoagulants) are emerging for the management of patients with vascular disease.