Key result
COVID-19 pandemic linked to ~23% higher risk of pulmonary embolism in 2020 vs. 2019.
Why the study?
Epidemiology of pulmonary embolism may have shifted since the COVID-19 pandemic, motivating an assessment of temporal trends in the Netherlands since 2015.
Cohort (n=16,000,000)
Odds Ratio: 1.23 (95% CI 1.2–1.26)
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly reversed favorable pre-pandemic trends in pulmonary embolism incidence and mortality in the Netherlands, predominantly affecting males, though rates appeared to revert toward baseline in 2022.
Pandemic-linked PE incidence rise supports vigilance in high-risk groups; leaves open durability of trends and causal mechanisms beyond 2022.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Epidemiology of pulmonary embolism (PE) may have shifted since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to describe temporal trends in PE epidemiology in the Netherlands since 2015. METHODS: Using nationwide data from Statistics Netherlands, all Dutch inhabitants (>16 million) without a history of PE were dynamically identified on 1 January of each year to assemble eight cohorts of PE-free Dutch inhabitants in 2015-22. They were individually followed until the end of that respective year to determine 1-year risk of PE (identified by hospital diagnoses/primary cause of death) and establish relevant risk factors. The PE cases were subsequently studied to determine 1-year all-cause mortality following PE. Multivariable logistic regression with cluster-robust standard errors and robust Poisson regression were respectively employed to evaluate relative differences in PE incidence and mortality between years. RESULTS: Pulmonary embolism incidence in the Dutch population decreased from 2015 to 2019 but markedly increased by 23% (95% confidence interval 20%-26%), 52% (48%-56%), and 7% (4%-9%) in 2020-22 (vs. 2019), respectively. Most traditional PE risk factors remained associated with PE in 2020-22 but generally with a weaker association. Pulmonary embolism mortality was stable until 2019 but then increased by 10% (6%-14%) in 2020 and 9% (6%-13%) in 2021, while the increase [2% (-1% to 6%)] was insignificant in 2022. The above-mentioned changes since 2020 were generally greater in males than females. CONCLUSIONS: The seemingly favourable pre-pandemic temporal trends in PE epidemiology in the Netherlands reversed during the COVID-19 pandemic but appear to revert to pre-pandemic levels after 2022.
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Chen et al. (2025) conducted a cohort in Pulmonary embolism (n=16,000,000). COVID-19 pandemic timeframe (2020-2022) vs. Pre-pandemic timeframe (2019) was evaluated on 1-year risk of pulmonary embolism (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.20-1.26). The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a marked increase in pulmonary embolism incidence, including a 23% rise in 2020 compared to 2019 (OR 1.23).
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