After years of decline, death rate from lung clots on the rise.

[2greys]

After nearly a decade of steady decline, the death rate for people with blood clots in the lungs reversed course and began rising over the past decade, new research finds.

The study, published Monday in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found death rates for pulmonary embolism (PE) dropped an average of 4.4% per year from 1999 to 2008, then began climbing an average of 0.6% per year. The biggest increases were for people under age 65.

"Death rates for PE are rising and seem to be doing so across age, race and geographic regions," said lead author Dr. Karlyn Martin. She is assistant professor of medicine in the division of hematology/oncology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

Pulmonary embolism is part of the broader disease called venous thromboembolism (VTE), or blood clots that start in the veins. VTE also includes deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a clot in a vein deep in the body, usually the leg. If such a clot breaks free, it can travel to the lungs and cause a pulmonary embolism.

heart.org/en/news/2020/08/1...

Journal of the American Heart Association:

ahajournals.org/doi/full/10...

[HungryHufflepuff]

That is worrisome and even more so as it's not really known why.

[2greys in reply to HungryHufflepuff]

It my well be because sedentary lifestyles are on the increase, people sitting around for longer periods, increasing the risk of developing Deep Vein Thrombosis.

[HungryHufflepuff in reply to 2greys]

Is it the sitting down on airplanes rather than the air pressure that causes DVT? If so the speculation about sedentary lifestyles would be a most logical explanation for the increase of PE.

[2greys in reply to HungryHufflepuff]

Yes it is sitting down for long periods creating pressure on the legs, on long haul flights it is advised to get up and take a walk along the corridors.

[Hidden in reply to 2greys]

Yes sitting for long periods doesn't exactly help.

[Tia4209]

If you read the diagnosis nightmares of so many who suffer Pulmonary Embolism you would be surprised how many survive. I intend to campaign for a similar protocol for recognising and diagnosing PE as there is for Sepsis.

[Hidden in reply to Tia4209]

I am an extremely proud pe survivor as that happened to me back in 2017 and I am fine now and take rivaroxaban religiously every day.

[Tia4209 in reply to Hidden]

Congratulations Catgirl! So glad you have fully recovered. Did they find a reason for your PE, did you have a DVT also? xx

[Hidden in reply to Tia4209]

I did have a dvt previously but the scans were negative as I think it had all broken off and travelled the day I had the crisis and had walked into a and e.

They never found a cause.