Patients with the post–thrombotic syndrome have worse disease severity and quality of life than patients with primary chronic venous disease

Abstract number: P1406

Kahn^* S. R., Kurz† X., Lamping‡ D. L., Berard§ A., Abenhaim§ L. A.

†Belgium; §Canada ^*SMBD Jewish General Hospital, Canada; ‡UK;

Background  

The post–thrombotic syndrome (PTS) is a chronic venous disorder (CVD) that occurs frequently after deep venous thrombosis (DVT). It is estimated that up to 20% of all cases of CVD are attributable to the PTS. However, it is not known how burden-of-illness in patients with PTS compares to that of patients with primary CVD.

Objective  

To compare indicators of CVD severity and quality of life in CVD patients with and without the PTS.

Methods  

The VEINES Study population was an international cohort of 1531 patients with CVD aged 18–75 who were randomly sampled from a registry of 5688 consecutive CVD patients in Belgium, France, Italy and Canada. At the baseline visit, data were collected on demographic and clinical variables, including prior venous thromboembolism (VTE). Severity of CVD was graded using the 7-category clinical ‘CEAP’ scale. Generic quality of life (QOL) was measured using the SF-36 questionnaire (mental component score (MCS) and physical component score (PCS)). Disease-specific QOL was measured using the VEINES-QOL questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the impact of the PTS on CVD severity and QOL.

Results  

A history of prior VTE was documented in 151 (10%) study patients, who were thus classified as having the PTS. Patients with PTS, compared to those without PTS, had more severe CVD (P < 0.0001) and worse generic QOL (MCS 41.8 vs. 44.3 [P = 0.015], respectively; PCS 40.6 vs. 45.9 [P < 0.0001], respectively) and disease-specific QOL (VEINES-QOL 47.4 vs. 50.2 [P < 0.0001], respectively). Multivariable analyses adjusted for age, sex, country, body mass index, and comorbid conditions demonstrated that PTS was an independent predictor of CVD severity and worse QOL.

Conclusions  

The health status of CVD patients with PTS is worse than that of CVD patients without PTS. Our data support the need for wider implementation of methods to prevent DVT, and further research into interventions to prevent and treat the PTS.