Over the last 25 years, considerable progress has been made in the prevention, diagnosis and therapy of venous thromboembolism. The epidemiology of the disease has been investigated, defining patient groups at risk. Safe and effective methods of venous thrombosis prophylaxis have been evaluated in a wide range of patient populations, and recommendations for their application have been widely disseminated. Non-invasive techniques for the diagnosis of venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism have been developed, and their capabilities and limitations have been defined. Guidelines for existing therapy have been refined, and new therapeutic agents have been introduced into clinical practice. A brief review of these is presented.