Hormonal exposure leads to an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) but the risk of VTE associated with assisted reproductive technology (ART) is not clearly determined.
We searched in ...PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library databases and identified all relevant articles published up to February 1, 2021. The primary objective was to determine the frequency of VTE associated with ART. Secondary objectives were to determine (1) the risk of VTE associated with ART as compared to pregnancy without ART; (2) the risk of VTE associated with ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS); and (3) to determine potential risk factors of VTE related to ART.
Fourteen studies were included. The overall frequency of VTE associated with ART was 0.23% (95% confidence interval CI: 0.07-0.46). Women undergoing ART had a two- to threefold increased risk of VTE as compared to spontaneous pregnancy (relative risk RR: 2.66; 95% CI: 1.60-4.43). The overall frequency of VTE specifically related to OHSS was <0.001%. The risk of VTE after ART complicated by OHSS, as compared to ART without OHSS, was higher but not statistically significant (RR: 14.83; 95% CI: 0.86-255.62). Risk factors of VTE associated with ART were in vitro fertilization procedure (RR, odds ratio OR, and hazard ratio varying from 1.77, 95% CI: 1.41-2.23 to 4.99, 95% CI: 1.24-20.05), hyperhomocysteinemia (OR: 15.2; 95% CI: 2.0-115.0), polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) (RR: 4.8; 95% CI: 1.7-13.4), successful ART leading to pregnancy (OR: 13.94; 95% CI: 1.41-137.45).
Further large prospective studies on risk factors of VTE in women undergoing ART are needed in order to optimize thromboprophylaxis in this context.
Cancer and factor V Leiden mutation are both risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE). Cancer critically increases the thrombotic risk whereas Factor V Leiden is the most common pro-thrombotic ...mutation. The impact of the factor V Leiden on the risk of VTE in cancer patients remains uncertain.
To assess the impact of factor V Leiden mutation in cancer-associated thrombosis.
The EDITH hospital-based case-control study enrolled 182 patients with cancer and VTE as well as 182 control patients with cancer, matched for gender, age and cancer location, between 2000 and 2012, in the University Hospital of Brest. All cases and controls were genotyped for the factor V Leiden mutation and interviewed with a standardized questionnaire.
Twenty one of 182 (11.5%) patients with cancer-associated thrombosis carried the factor V Leiden mutation and 4 of 182 (2.2%) controls with cancer but no venous thrombosis. In multivariate analysis including cancer stage and family history of VTE, cancer patients with factor V Leiden mutation had a seven-fold increased risk of venous thromboembolism (adjusted odds ratio OR, 7.04; 95% CI, 2.01-24.63).
The pro-thrombotic Factor V Leiden mutation was found to be an independent additional risk factor for venous thromboembolism in cancer patients and might therefore be considered in the individual thrombotic risk assessment.
Abstract
Objective
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a leading cause of death in MCTD. We aimed to describe PAH in well-characterized MCTD patients.
Methods
MCTD patients enrolled in the ...French Pulmonary Hypertension Registry with a PAH diagnosis confirmed by right heart catheterization were included in the study and compared with matched controls: MCTD patients without PAH, SLE patients with PAH and SSc patients with PAH. Survival rates were estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method and risk factors for PAH in MCTD patients and risk factors for mortality in MCTD-PAH were sought using multivariate analyses.
Results
Thirty-six patients with MCTD-PAH were included in the study. Comparison with MCTD patients without PAH and multivariate analysis revealed that pericarditis, polyarthritis, thrombocytopenia, interstitial lung disease (ILD) and anti-Sm antibodies were independent predictive factors of PAH/PH in MCTD. Estimated survival rates at 1, 5 and 10 years following PAH diagnosis were 83%, 67% and 56%, respectively. MCTD-PAH presentation and survival did not differ from SLE-PAH and SSc-PAH. Multivariate analysis revealed that tobacco exposure was an independent factor predictive of mortality in MCTD-PAH.
Conclusion
PAH is a rare and severe complication of MCTD associated with a 56% 10-year survival. We identified ILD, pericarditis, thrombocytopenia and anti-Sm antibodies as risk factors for PAH in MCTD and tobacco exposure as a predictor of mortality in MCTD-PAH.
We aimed to assess the risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) following cessation of anticoagulation therapy.In a prospective ...cohort of 1468 patients with a documented episode of VTE, followed for up to 5 years after cessation of anticoagulation therapy, the diagnosis of COPD was confirmed in 136. The main outcome was recurrent VTE. The secondary outcome was overall mortality. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the risk factors of recurrence.Of the 1468 patients included, recurrent VTE was observed in 306 (34 with COPD and 272 without) during a median follow-up period of 36.5 months. The incidence rate of recurrent VTE was 9.1% (95% CI 6.5-12.8) for COPD patients and 7.0% (95% CI 6.2-7.9) for non-COPD patients. COPD was not associated with an increased risk of VTE recurrence on univariate or multivariate analyses (hazard ratio: 1.0 (95% CI 0.7-1.4)). The risk of death, adjusted for demographic and clinical characteristics, showed no increase in COPD patients, as compared to non-COPD patients.In patients with COPD who had an acute episode of VTE, the risk of recurrent VTE was not any higher than that in non-COPD patients.
Abstract Since preliminary case reports suggesting a possible association between first generation of antipsychotics and venous thromboembolism (VTE), consistent epidemiological data is now available ...suggesting a moderate association between antipsychotics and VTE. However, despite several hypotheses, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown or uncertain. In addition, if the association between antipsychotics and VTE is plausible, the intensity of this risk and the dose effect relationship do not have yet been determined. Prospective data is therefore needed in order to confirm and to quantify this association. Because of the level of uncertainty, the clinical impact on the prevention and the treatment of VTE in patients with a psychiatric illness appears to be low.
Background
Women with a previous venous thromboembolism (VTE) are at risk of recurrence during pregnancy.
Objectives
We aimed to assess the incidence rate of recurrent VTE during pregnancy, according ...to the period of pregnancy, and the clinical parameters associated with recurrence, in a prospective cohort of women of childbearing age after a first VTE.
Patients/Methods
A total of 189 women aged 15–49 years with a first documented VTE were followed until a subsequent pregnancy of at least 20 weeks’ gestation between 2000 and 2020. VTE recurrences during pregnancy were recorded, as were potential clinical risk factors for recurrence.
Results
Recurrent VTE occurred in six women during antepartum: five during the first trimester (incidence rate 106.4 per 1000 women‐years) (95% confidence interval CI 46.3–226.0); none during the second trimester; and one during the third trimester (incidence rate 27.0 per 1000 women‐years 95% CI 4.8–138.2). During postpartum, recurrences occurred in 11 women (incidence rate 212.8 per 1000 women‐years 95% CI 119.9–349.1). These 17 recurrent VTEs presented as pulmonary embolism ± deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in five patients and isolated DVT in 12. Failure of thromboprophylaxis occurred in two cases (33.3%) antepartum and in 10 cases (90.9%) postpartum. In multivariable analysis, only obesity (defined on prepregnancy body mass index) was associated with recurrent VTE (odds ratio 3.34 95% CI 1.11–10.05, p = .03).
Conclusions
This study confirms a high risk of recurrent VTE postpartum, despite thromboprophylaxis, in women with a previous VTE. Only obesity was associated with VTE recurrence during pregnancy, suggesting that low‐dose anticoagulation might not be appropriate in obese pregnant women.
We aimed to assess the relationship between residual pulmonary vascular obstruction (RPVO) on planar lung scan after completion of at least 3 months of anticoagulant therapy for acute pulmonary ...embolism (PE) and the risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) or death due to PE one year after treatment discontinuation. The systematic review was registered with the International Prospective Registry of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO: CRD42017081080). The primary outcome measure was to generate a pooled estimate of the rate of recurrent VTE at one year in patient with RPVO diagnosed on planar lung scan after discontinuation of at least 3 months of anticoagulant treatment for an acute PE. Individual data were obtained for 809 patients. RPVO (ie, obstruction >0%) was found in 407 patients (50.3%) after a median of 6.6 months of anticoagulant therapy for a first acute PE. Recurrent VTE or death due to PE occurred in 114 patients (14.1%), for an annual risk of 6.4% (95% confidence interval, 4.7%-8.6%). Out of the 114 recurrent events, 63 occurred within one year after discontinuation of anticoagulant therapy corresponding to a risk of 8.1% (6.4%-9.8%) at 1 year. The risk of recurrent VTE at one year was 5.8% (4.4-7.2) in participants with RPVO <5%, vs 11.7% (9.5-13.8) in participants with RPVO ≥5%. RPVO is a significant predictor of the risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism. However, the risk of recurrent events remains too high in patients without residual perfusion defect for it to be used as a stand-alone test to decide on anticoagulation discontinuation.
•The exact prognostic significance of persistent thrombus in pulmonary artery in patients treated for a first pulmonary embolism, referred to as residual pulmonary vascular obstruction (RPVO), remains unclear.•The aim of this individual participant data meta-analysis (IPDMA) was to assess the association between RPVO and recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with a first acute pulmonary embolism who discontinued anticoagulant therapy after an initial treatment of ≥3 months.•In this IPDMA that included 809 participants, we found that patients with an RPVO ≥5% on planar lung scan after anticoagulant therapy had a 2-fold increased risk of recurrent VTE than patients with RPVO <5% (5.8 % vs 11.7% at 1 year).•RPVO is a significant predictor of the risk of recurrent events. However, the risk of recurrent events remains too high in patients without residual perfusion defect for it to be used as a stand-alone test to decide on anticoagulation discontinuation.
It was recently established that patients who developed VTE are at increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) compared with the general population. However, whether the ...anticoagulation used for VTE influences the risk of MACE remains undescribed.
Does the anticoagulant treatment for VTE affect the risk of subsequent MACE?
This study included patients from a large prospective cohort who received only one family of anticoagulant treatment after the acute phase of VTE, including vitamin K antagonist (VKAs) and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). MACE included nonfatal acute coronary syndrome, nonfatal stroke, and all-cause death. The secondary outcome, MACE-2, included cardiovascular death instead of all-cause death. Cox proportional and Fine-Gray models served to study the relationship between anticoagulation characteristics and the risk of outcomes.
A total of 3,790 patients (47.2% male; mean age, 60.48 years) were included. A total of 1,228 patients (32.4%) were treated for 0 to 3 months (median in overall population, 6 months). Compared with these patients, those treated for 3 to 12 months (hazard ratio HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.54-0.76) or > 12 months (HR, 0.47, 95% CI, 0.39-0.56) had a significant reduced risk of MACE following adjustment for confounders. Findings were similar for MACE-2 (sub-HR for 3-12 months, 0.61 95% CI, 0.47-0.79; sub-HR > 12 months, 0.52 95% CI, 0.39-0.68). After adjustment for confounders, there was a reduced risk of MACE (HR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.39-0.71) and MACE-2 (sub-HR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.29-0.77) in patients treated with DOACs (vs VKAs).
Treatment of VTE for > 3 months is associated with a reduced risk of MACE, as is treatment with DOACs vs VKAs. These findings, which may influence the choice of anticoagulation strategies for VTE, need confirmation by randomized clinical trials.
Background
In patients with pulmonary embolism (PE), there is a growing interest in quantifying the pulmonary vascular obtruction index (PVOI), which may be an independent risk factor for PE ...recurrence. Perfusion SPECT/CT is a very attractive tool to provide an accurate quantification of the PVOI. However, there is currently no reliable method to automatically delineate and quantify it. The aim of this phantom study was to assess and compare 3 segmentation methods for PVOI quantification with perfusion SPECT/CT imaging.
Methods
Three hundred ninety-six SPECT/CT scans, with various PE scenarios (
n
= 44), anterior to posterior perfusion gradients (
n
= 3), and lung volumes (
n
= 3) were simulated using Simind software. Three segmentation methods were assesssed: (1) using an intensity threshold expressed as a percentage of the maximal voxel value (MaxTh), (2) using a Z-score threshold (ZTh) after building a Z-score parametric lung map, and (3) using a relative difference threshold (RelDiffTh) after building a relative difference parametric map. Ninety randomly selected simulations were used to define the optimal threshold, and 306 simulations were used for the complete analysis. Spacial correlation between PE volumes from the phantom data and the delineated PE volumes was assessed by computing DICE
PE
indices. Bland-Altman statistics were used to calculate agreement for PVOI between the phantom data and the segmentation methods.
Results
Mean DICE
PE
index was higher with the RelDiffTh method (0.85 ± 0.08), as compared with the MaxTh method (0.78 ± 0.16) and the ZTh method (0.67 ± 0.15). Using the RelDiffTh method, mean DICE
PE
index remained high (> 0.81) regardless of the perfusion gradient and the lung volumes. Using the RelDiffTh method, mean relative difference in PVOI was − 12%, and the limits of agreement were − 40% to 16%. Values were 3% (− 75% to 81%) for MaxTh method and 0% (− 120% to 120%) for ZTh method. Graphycal analysis of the Bland-Altman graph for the RelDiffTh method showed very close estimation of the PVOI for small and medium PE, and a trend toward an underestimation of large PE.
Conclusion
In this phantom study, a delineation method based on a relative difference parametric map provided a good estimation of the PVOI, regardless of the extent of PE, the intensity of the anterior to posterior gradient, and the whole lung volumes.
The increased risk of arterial thrombotic (ATE) after VTE, particularly when they are unprovoked or cancer-associated has been established. However, the risk factors of ATE after these VTE remain ...unclear.
Using cause-specific hazard regression models, we determined risk factors of ATE (myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, acute limb ischemia, digestive tract ischemia, or renal ischemia) in 2242 patients with unprovoked VTE and in 914 patients with cancer-associated VTE from a multi-center prospective cohort.
Of patients with unprovoked-VTE, 174 developed ATE (7.8%, incidence: 1.26 per 100 patient-years) during follow-up (median: 68 months). Among patients with cancer-associated VTE, 57 developed ATE (6.2%, incidence: 1.98 per 100 patient-years) during follow-up (median: 30 months). After multivariable analysis, the identified risk factors of ATE in patients with unprovoked-VTE were age > 65 years (vs. <50 years, HR 2.59, 95% CI: 1.56–4.29), past history of symptomatic atherosclerosis (HR 2.11, 95% CI: 1.40–3.19), and treatment with low molecule weight heparin (vs. vitamin K antagonists, HR: 2.26, 95% CI: 1.13–4.52). In patients with cancer-associated VTE, the identified risk factors of ATE were: past history of symptomatic atherosclerosis (HR: 3.13, 95% CI: 1.72–5.67), and ongoing anticoagulation at the diagnosis of VTE (HR: 2.77, 95% CI: 1.07–7.22).
The risk of ATE after unprovoked VTE and after cancer-associated VTE, is determined by some classic cardiovascular risk factors and appears to be influenced by anticoagulant treatment introduced for VTE, as well as the presence or absence of ongoing anticoagulation at the diagnosis of VTE.
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