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Patient Evidence Summary
How many people in Canada are diagnosed with DVT or PE each year?
About 13 out of every 10,000 people living in Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec were diagnosed with a DVT or PE each year during the study period.
Study highlights
This study found that women were more likely to be diagnosed with VTE than men.
The risk of developing VTE increases with age, particularly over the age of 60.
Understanding the problem
Venous thromboembolism is a common medical problem worldwide. However, the number of people who develop VTE is not the same in all countries.
Finding an accurate count of how many people in a large population develop VTE can be very difficult. However, in countries like Canada, where almost everyone receives their medical care through professionals and institutions paid by the government, it is easier to track this information.
The authors of this study were interested in how many people in Canada were diagnosed with VTE during the study period (Year 2000 to Year 2012). They also wanted to know if the number of people with VTE was different between men and women and in different age groups.
A summary of 3 studies published from 2013 to 2018.
Who? The studies included 113,171,431 person-years contributed by people living in Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec who were listed in government healthcare databases.
Person-years = measurement used in research studies that takes into account both the number of people in the study and how much time each person spent in the study (For example, 100 people in a study for 1 year = 100 person-years and 10 people in the study for 10 years each = 100 person-years).
Number of people diagnosed with VTE in Canada (Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec) between 2000 and 2012
Population | No. of People with VTE |
|---|---|
Total | About 13 out of every 10,000 people per year |
Women | About 14 out of every 10,000 people per year |
| Men | About 11 out of every 10,000 people per year |
| Age Group | |
| 40 to 49 years old | About 13 out of every 10,000 people per year |
| 50 to 59 years old | About 21 out of every 10,000 people per year |
| 60 to 69 years old | About 38 out of every 10,000 people per year |
| 70 to 79 years old | About 60 out of every 10,000 people per year |
This Evidence Summary is based on the following article:
Payne JG, Tagalakis V, Wu C, et al. Current estimates of the incidence of acute venous thromboembolic disease in Canada: A meta-analysis. Thromb Res. 2020 Nov 1;197:8-12. doi: 10.1016/j.thromres.2020.10.030. PubMed
Lori-Ann Linkins, MD, MSc (Clin Epi), FRCPC
Dr. Linkins is an Associate Professor of Medicine (thrombosis) at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. She holds a Masters Degree in Health Research Methodology and is a Deputy Editor with the Health Information Research Unit, McMaster. She is Co-Editor of the ACP Journal Club and Co-lead on the CanVECTOR Knowledge Translation Platform.
Published: Tuesday, December 22, 2020
Please note that the information contained herein is not to be interpreted as an alternative to medical advice from a professional healthcare provider. If you have any questions about any medical matter, you should consult your professional healthcare providers, and should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice or discontinue medication based on information provided here.
, McMaster University