Could Heart Failure Raise VTE Risk?

Patients hospitalized with heart failure are at increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), according to a new study.

Previous research into the relationship between VTE and heart failure has yielded inconsistent results.
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In order to investigate the absolute and relative risks for VTE in patients with heart failure, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of studies from between January 1, 1955, to March 31, 2015.. In the end, they examined 71 studies that included data from 88 cohorts.

Overall relative risk for VTE in patients with heart failure was 1.51. The overall median symptomatic VTE rate was 2.48%, and rates were 3.73% for patients who did not receive thromboprophylaxis and 1.47% for those that did.

“Heart failure is a common independent risk factor for venous thromboembolism. Thromboprophylaxis should be considered in clinical practice for high-risk patients,” researchers concluded.

Reference:

—Amanda Balbi

Tang L, Wu YY, Lip GYH, et al. Heart failure and risk of venous thromboembolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Haematology. December 3, 2015 [epub ahead of print]. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2352-3026(15)00228-8