Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Mar 4;12(1):6.
doi: 10.1186/1477-9560-12-6.

Incidence of venous thromboembolism in northern Sweden (VEINS): a population-based study

Magdalena Johansson  1 , Lars Johansson, Marcus Lind
Affiliations

Incidence of venous thromboembolism in northern Sweden (VEINS): a population-based study

Magdalena Johansson et al. Thromb J. .

Abstract

Background: The reported incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) varies considerably among studies. The primary aim of this study was to describe the incidence of VTE in relation to age and sex. The secondary aim was to describe the risk factor pattern at the time of diagnosis.

Methods: This retrospective, population-based cohort study included all adult residents in the County of Västerbotten in northern Sweden during the year 2006 (n = 204,836). All potential VTE events were manually validated and classified according to location. The presence of risk factors for VTE at the time of diagnosis was recorded.

Results: We identified 517 adult individuals with potential VTE. Among these, 343 individuals (158 men and 185 women) had a verified VTE event in 2006. The mean incidence was 167 individuals per 100,000 person years; 155 for men and 180 for women. The mean age at diagnosis was 67.6 years in men and 72.5 years in women. The incidence of VTE increased with age. The incidence was highest in women aged 85 years or more. Pulmonary embolism with or without concurrent deep vein thrombosis was diagnosed in 161 individuals (46.9%); lower extremity deep vein thrombosis without concurrent pulmonary embolism was diagnosed in 157 individuals (45.8%); and VTE in another location was diagnosed in 25 individuals (7.3%). The most common risk factors for VTE were recent hospitalization and concurrent malignancy.

Conclusion: The incidence of VTE was 167 per 100,000 person years and increased with age. The incidence was highest among older women. Pulmonary embolism was the most common form of VTE; it affected 47% of individuals with VTE. Malignancy and hospitalization were the most prevalent risk factors for VTE.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Incidence of venous thromboembolism increases with age. Men (blue); women (red).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Heit JA, Silverstein MD, Mohr DN, Petterson TM, O'Fallon WM, Melton LJ 3rd. Risk factors for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism: a population-based case-control study. Arch Intern Med. 2000;160:809–815. doi: 10.1001/archinte.160.6.809. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Naess IA, Christiansen SC, Romundstad P, Cannegieter SC, Rosendaal FR, Hammerstrom J. Incidence and mortality of venous thrombosis: a population-based study. J Thromb Haemost. 2007;5:692–699. doi: 10.1111/j.1538-7836.2007.02450.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Braekkan SK, Mathiesen EB, Njolstad I, Wilsgaard T, Stormer J, Hansen JB. Family history of myocardial infarction is an independent risk factor for venous thromboembolism: the Tromso study. J Thromb Haemost. 2008;6:1851–1857. doi: 10.1111/j.1538-7836.2008.03102.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Ho WK, Hankey GJ, Eikelboom JW. The incidence of venous thromboembolism: a prospective, community-based study in Perth, Western Australia. Med J Aust. 2008;189:144–147. - PubMed
    1. Isma N, Svensson PJ, Gottsater A, Lindblad B. Prospective analysis of risk factors and distribution of venous thromboembolism in the population-based Malmo Thrombophilia Study (MATS) Thromb Res. 2009;124:663–666. doi: 10.1016/j.thromres.2009.04.022. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources