Human blood samples will be collected prospectively from 50 obese patients, who are enrolled and planning to undertake bariatric surgery in the Outpatient Bariatric Surgery Clinic at Tulane University, HSC (Christopher G. Ducoin, MD, MPH; Chair of Bariatric Surgery Clinic and Surgeon, and Shauna
Patients with a single episode of idiopathic VTE (either DVT or pulmonary embolism) who received at least 6 months of adequate treatment with oral anticoagulants, for whom treatment withdrawal is planned, and with LDL cholesterol levels of equal to or greater than 130 mg/dL will be randomized to