Don’t Ignore Leg Pain

Pain in the legs could be a sign of a dangerous blood clot. But it’s often not diagnosed and treated in time, U.S. health officials say. They have started a campaign to spread the word about this problem. A blood clot in the leg is called deep vein (or venous) thrombosis, or DVT. A clot can kill if it moves into the lungs. This is called a pulmonary embolism. Such clots kill about 100,000 Americans each year. The new campaign includes a report from the surgeon general and booklets aimed at both patients and doctors. The Associated Press wrote about it September 15.