Factor V Leiden is the most common inherited trait in Caucasians that predisposes individuals to venous thrombosis. However, it is almost absent amongst the Basque people that live in the south western part of Europe. To explain this finding, we speculate upon the putative contribution of various evolutionary forces through which the Basque genome may have been shaped.
Keywords: epidemiology; factor V Leiden; population genetics; risk factors; venous thrombosis.
© 2015 International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis.