Key result
Black individuals have a 30% to 60% higher incidence of venous thromboembolism than European Americans, despite rarely carrying common genetic mutations predisposing to VTE.
Effect estimate: 30% to 60% higher incidence
Highlights a clinical paradox where Black Americans have the highest incidence of VTE despite a lower prevalence of known genetic predispositions like factor V Leiden or prothrombin gene mutations.
C onventional teaching is that a racial gradient exists for the frequency of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in the United States. Asian Americans have the lowest risk, and blacks have the highest risk. Hispanic Americans and Americans of European ancestry have an intermediate risk, with Hispanic Americans having less frequent VTE than those of European but non-Hispanic heritage. The most apparent paradox is that blacks have the highest rate of VTE, even though they rarely carry the prothrombin gene mutation or factor V Leiden mutation, 2 genetic abnormalities that predispose to VTE. Based on genetic profiling (nature), one might have predicted that blacks would have a low rate of VTE. In 1 study, in comparison with individuals of European ancestry and adjusting for age and sex, blacks had a 30% to 60% higher incidence of VTE than European Americans.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Samuel Z. Goldhaber (2014) conducted a review in Venous thromboembolism (VTE). Black race vs. European ancestry was evaluated on Incidence of VTE (30% to 60% higher incidence). Black individuals have a 30% to 60% higher incidence of venous thromboembolism than European Americans, despite rarely carrying common genetic mutations predisposing to VTE.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: