05 Apr Risk factors for first venous thromboembolism around pregnancy: a population based cohort study from the United Kingdom

Author Interview with Dr Matthew Grainge
Achieved his BSc in Statistics at Reading University and his MSc in Medical Statistics at the University of Leicester, before going on to complete his PhD on the topic of cervical screening and human papillomavirus at the University of Nottingham.

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?

Dr. Grainge: Women who have suffered a still birth, preterm birth, had bleeding in pregnancy, who are obese or have medical conditions including varicose veins, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or heart disease are at greater risk of developing blood clots after giving birth. Risks were highest during pregnancy itself among women with specific medical complications such as  pre-existing diabetes, varicose veins and IBD.

MedicalResearch.com: Were any of the findings unexpected?

Dr. Grainge:  Not especially, some of these findings have been reported in previous studies but the present study has the advantage that data were available throughout the duration of pregnancy and immediately following childbirth, so we were able to determine exactly when VTE events occur and be sure that risk factors were recorded prior to this. The finding of an increase in risk following stillbirth is less recognized so could be an important area for future study.

MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Grainge: Patients should be assured that the actual risk of developing a blood clot, even if they have the risk factors mentioned in the study, is very low. Clinicians should be aware of prophylaxis guidelines which operate at their center, as following these could help prevent these potentially dangerous events occurring.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Grainge: We believe these results should be replicated in future studies with a cohort design making sure data sources are used which adequately capture information obtained from the hospital setting as well as the general practitioner setting.

Citation:

Risk factors for first venous thromboembolism around pregnancy: a population based cohort study from the United Kingdom

Alyshah Abdul Sultan, Laila J. Tata, Joe West, Linda Fiaschi, Kate M. Fleming, Catherine Nelson-Piercy, and Matthew J. Grainge

Blood
Published ahead of print April 2, 2013, doi:10.1182/blood-2012-11-469551

Last Updated on April 5, 2013 by Marie Benz MD FAAD