How common is DVT?

The chances of developing DVT are about 1 in 1000 per year, although certain factors greatly increase this risk. The cumulative chance of developing DVT over a lifetime ranges from 2 percent to 5 percent. The chances of developing DVT are about 1 in 1000 per year, although certain factors greatly increase this risk. Young people are less likely than older people to develop DVT. The cumulative chance of developing DVT over a lifetime ranges from 2 percent to 5 percent. While certain conditions can provoke DVT (such as cancer, surgery, and being confined to bed), this condition may also occur spontaneously. Approximately 20 to 40 percent of people who develop spontaneous DVT have an inherited or acquired predisposition to thrombosis or thrombophilia (discussed later in this book). An estimated 300,000 first-time cases of DVT occur in the United States every year.