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Arterial and venous thromboembolism are leading causes of morbidity and mortality around the world. For almost 70 years, heparins (unfractionated heparin and low molecular weight heparins) and vitamin K antagonists have been the leading therapeutic medical options for the treatment and prevention of thromboembolic disorders. Nevertheless, the many limitations of these traditional anticoagulants have fuelled the search for novel agents over the past 15 years, and a new class of oral anticoagulants that specifically target activated factor X and thrombin has been developed and is now commercially available. In this narrative review, the evolution of anticoagulant therapy is summarised, with a focus on newer oral anticoagulants.

Air pollution is a leading global problem for public health. A number of ambient pollutants have been involved, including carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM). Although exposure to PM has been linked to a wide array of cardiovascular and respiratory disorders, its effect on venous thrombotic disorders is still uncertain. To elucidate this issue, we have performed a systematic review on the existing literature on the association between PM and venous thromboembolism (VTE), using MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane electronic databases. Of the 158 reviewed studies, 11 of them (3 case-crossover studies, 2 time-series studies, 2 case-control studies, 2 prospective cohort studies, 2 retrospective studies) involving more than 500,000 events fulfilled the inclusion criteria and results are presented here. Because there was substantial heterogeneity in study design, duration of follow-up, statistical measure of effects, clinical outcomes and threshold, we refrained to perform a quantitative analysis of the available data and carried out only a systematic review. Overall, the literature data suggest a link between PM and VTE, but further trials on larger populations of patients with homogeneous study designs and outcomes are warranted., (Copyright © 2015 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication of cancer and has a significant impact on morbidity and mortality in patients with malignancies. Low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs) currently represent the drug of choice for both initial and long-term treatment of cancer-associated thrombosis. In recent years, however, a new class of novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) inhibiting directly thrombin or activated factor X have been proposed as an alternative therapeutic option on the basis the results of subgroup analyses of phase III randomized controlled trials, including few cases of patients with cancer. After analysis of the available literature data, we conclude that although potentially interesting, future research specifically conducted in cancer patients is needed to clarify the role of these newer anticoagulant agents in prevention and treatment of cancer-related VTE., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

It is well known that the ABO blood group exerts a major influence on hemostasis, as O blood group individuals have lower von Willebrand factor and factor VIII levels than non-O blood group subjects. To evaluate the possible clinical implication of the different ABO blood groups on the risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE), we conducted a meta-analysis of the existing literature. After an electronic search strategy using Medline and Embase and a manual review of abstract books of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis and of reference lists of all retrieved articles, we included in the systematic review 38 studies with 10,305 VTE cases. The prevalence of non-O blood group was significantly higher in VTE patients compared with controls with a resulting pooled odds ratio (OR) of 2.09 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.83, 2.38; p < 0.00001). Similar findings were obtained when the genotypes A1O/BO/A2B (OR 1.73, 95% CI, 1.47, 2.05; p < 0.00001) and A1B/A1A1/BB (OR 1.87, 95% CI, 1.84, 2.44; p < 0.00001) were analyzed. The maximum VTE risk was observed in non-O-factor V Leiden patients (OR 7.60, 95% CI, 3.21, 17.99), while for G20210A prothrombin mutation it was not possible to perform a pooled analysis due to a paucity of published studies. Finally, the association between non-O blood group and VTE was weaker when provoked VTE cases were considered (OR 1.33, 95% CI, 1.18, 1.50), while it was substantially unchanged when unprovoked VTE cases were analyzed (OR 1.88, 95% CI, 1.42, 2.50). In conclusion, considering its prevalence, non-O blood group is a candidate to be one of the most important genetic risk factors for venous thrombosis., (Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.)