Medical experts say blood clots kill at least an estimated 40 Australians a day and should be regarded as important as heart disease and diabetes.

Today is the inaugural World Thrombosis Day.

Australia's Stroke Foundation and the Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis say 90 percent of Australians are ignorant of the significant dangers of blood clots and don't consider them to be a major threat to their lives.

But about 14,000 Australians are estimated to develop deep vein thrombosis or a pulmonary embolism each year, with about five thousand of those proving fatal.