Washington, Aug 12 - Medical researchers have found a better way to prevent blood clots after joint replacement surgery, a condition that kills thousands every year.

The research team, comprising scientists from University of Oklahoma (U-O), Denmark, Australia and Canada, set out to find a better way to prevent blood clots without increasing the risk of bleeding.

Blood clots, known as deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), affect the large veins in the lower leg and thigh. If the clot breaks free and moves through the bloodstream, it can lodge in the lungs, a condition known as pulmonary embolism (PE), which is often fatal.

Pulmonary embolism is the most common preventable cause of sudden death after surgery. Current preventive treatments include uncomfortable injections and one oral anti-clotting medicine that is difficult for patients and physicians to manage.

In a double-blind study of more than 3,000 patients, researchers tested a new type of anti-clotting drug called Apixaban, which is an oral medication.