Back in the mid 19th century, a French doctor, Armand Trousseau, discovered a connection between cancer and thrombosis – the formation of often dangerous blood clots that can lead to venous occlusion.

Reporting in the July 18 issue of The Journal of Experimental Medicine, a group of scientists in Wurzburg, Germany show that the lack of a blood clotting protein may protect against clogged arteries with no risk of excessive bleeding.