Drug May Reduce After-Effects of Leg Clot

Receiving a clot-busting drug can help prevent some after-effects of a blood clot in the leg, a study suggests. The study included 189 people with deep vein thrombosis. Sometimes these clots travel to the lungs, where they can be fatal. A clot that stays in the leg can cause a different problem called post-phlebitic or post-thrombotic syndrome. It leads to pain, swelling, skin problems and a heavy feeling in the leg. People in the study were randomly divided into 2 groups. One group received just standard treatment. This including blood-thinning drugs to help keep the clot from getting bigger or reaching the lungs. The second group also got standard treatment. But they also got the clot-busting drug alteplase, delivered in a small dose directly to the clot. In the next 2 years, people who got the clot-buster had a 25% lower risk of further problems related to the clot.