Table 1.

Risk factors of thrombosis in patients with PV

Risk factorEffect sizeReference
Age Age ≥60 y frequently used, but the optimal threshold was unknown; studies using age as continuous variable show increasing risk with older age 9-14  
Presence of cardiovascular risk factors (eg, smoking, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes mellitus) Stronger influence on arterial thrombosis (hazard Ratio [HR] 2.0-4.2) 9,13-16  
Prior thrombosis Differences between arterial and venous thrombosis; HR, 2.1-9.7 9,10,12-17  
High-risk mutations Definition and effects size varies across studies; ASXL1, DNMT3A, TET2, and BCOR/BCORL1 were associated with thrombosis risk in some studies 9,18  
JAK2V617F allele burden JAK2V617F VAF >50% is associated with higher risk of venous thrombosis; no association with arterial thrombosis 14-16,19  
Leukocytosis Inconsistent results across studies. WBC count >11 × 109/L or >15 × 109/L was frequently used as threshold for increased risk of thrombosis. Meta-analysis showing stronger association with arterial thrombosis. 20-23  
Treatment Low-dose aspirin reduces the risk of thrombotic events; hydroxyurea use was associated with a lower risk of thrombosis in nonrandomized study. Limited data available on ruxolitinib and IFN. 10,24-26  
Uncontrolled hematocrit Hematocrit level <45% is associated with a reduced risk of thrombosis 10,14,27  
Time from diagnosis Higher risk during first 3 months since diagnosis 28  
Sex Women had higher rates of venous thromboses; men had more arterial events in the ECLAP study 29  
Thrombocytosis No clear correlation with thrombosis risk 21  
Risk factorEffect sizeReference
Age Age ≥60 y frequently used, but the optimal threshold was unknown; studies using age as continuous variable show increasing risk with older age 9-14  
Presence of cardiovascular risk factors (eg, smoking, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes mellitus) Stronger influence on arterial thrombosis (hazard Ratio [HR] 2.0-4.2) 9,13-16  
Prior thrombosis Differences between arterial and venous thrombosis; HR, 2.1-9.7 9,10,12-17  
High-risk mutations Definition and effects size varies across studies; ASXL1, DNMT3A, TET2, and BCOR/BCORL1 were associated with thrombosis risk in some studies 9,18  
JAK2V617F allele burden JAK2V617F VAF >50% is associated with higher risk of venous thrombosis; no association with arterial thrombosis 14-16,19  
Leukocytosis Inconsistent results across studies. WBC count >11 × 109/L or >15 × 109/L was frequently used as threshold for increased risk of thrombosis. Meta-analysis showing stronger association with arterial thrombosis. 20-23  
Treatment Low-dose aspirin reduces the risk of thrombotic events; hydroxyurea use was associated with a lower risk of thrombosis in nonrandomized study. Limited data available on ruxolitinib and IFN. 10,24-26  
Uncontrolled hematocrit Hematocrit level <45% is associated with a reduced risk of thrombosis 10,14,27  
Time from diagnosis Higher risk during first 3 months since diagnosis 28  
Sex Women had higher rates of venous thromboses; men had more arterial events in the ECLAP study 29  
Thrombocytosis No clear correlation with thrombosis risk 21  

WBC, white blood cell.

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