New Releases from NCBI BookshelfComparing Treatment Strategies to Prevent Future Blood Clots among Patients Who Received at Least Three Months of Blood Thinners — The (ALTERNATIVE) Study [Internet].​Comparing Treatment Strategies to Prevent Future Blood Clots among Patients Who Received at Least Three Months of Blood Thinners — The (ALTERNATIVE) Study [Internet].

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) causes more than 100 000 deaths annually in the United States and recurs in ∼30% of people within 10 years. Extended duration anticoagulation beyond the initial 3 to 6 months of treatment may reduce the risk for recurrent VTE but at the risk of increasing bleeding complications. Therefore, considerable uncertainty exists about the optimal duration and choice of anticoagulant for extended VTE treatment.

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