Venous and arterial thromboses have traditionnally been regarded as separate diseases with different causes. Clinical experience shows, that the arterial atherothrombotic disease can be associated with venous thrombotic disease, but there is insufficient evidence to prove and explain the nature of this association.This review focuses on the risk factors associated with both arterial and venous thrombotic events, and recent epidemiological studies have documented an association between these vascular complications.According to the results of recent studies, atherosclerosis and venous thrombosis share common risk factors, including age, obesity, cigarette smoking, and metabolic syndrome.Several studies have demonstrated that subjects with idiopathic venous thrombosis have an increased risk of cardiovascular events compared with subjects with secondary thrombosis or control group. On the other hand, atherosclerosis has the potential to promote the development of thrombotic disorders in the venous system. Based on the results of population studies carried out in the United States, atherosclerosis is unlikely to constitute a risk factor for venous thrombosis. In conclusion, the separate nature of arterial and venous disorders has been challenged. Future studies are needed to clarify the nature of this association, and to evaluate its implications for clinical practice.
Keywords: atherosclerosis; deep venous thrombosis; prospective study; risk factor.