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Risk for Vascular Complications Greatly Affects Life Expectancy in ET and PV
The incidence for vascular complications impacts life expectancy among patients undergoing treatment for essential thrombocythemia (ET) and polycythemia vera (PV), according to a study published in the European Journal of Haematology (2020;104[3]:271-278).
To assess the relative importance of risk factors, treatments, and blood counts on the occurrence of vascular complications and their impact on life expectancy, Erik Ahlstrand, MD, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Sweden, and colleagues conducted a nested case-control study within the Swedish MPN Registry.
A total of 1685 patients with ET (n = 922) and PV (n = 763) were included in the study, and matched controls were compared with 71 and 81 patients with ET and PV who had vascular complications, respectively.
The incidence of vascular complications was 2.0 events per 100 patient-years in patients with ET and 3.4 events per 100 patient-years in patients with PV.
Dr Ahlstrand et al noted that no significant risk factor differences between cases and controls were observed for either of the diseases at diagnosis.
At the time of vascular event, cases did not significantly differ from controls among patients with ET, but for patients with PV, cases had significantly higher white blood cells than controls and were treated to a lesser extent with anti-thrombotic and cytoreductive therapy.
“The risk of vascular complications is high in both ET and PV, and these complications have a considerable impact on life expectancy,” Dr Ahlstrand and colleagues concluded.
“The protective effect of anti‐thrombotic and cytoreductive therapy for vascular complications in PV underscores the importance of avoiding undertreatment,” they added.—Janelle Bradley
