Pulmonary vascular disease & thromboembolismCohort study
Incidence, risk factors, and mortality of pulmonary embolism in the Netherlands (2015–22): sex differences and shifts during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic
- Nationwide cohort study
- dynamic annual cohorts 2015–22
- nationwide registry data
Authors' conclusion
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.
Study context
- Population
- Dutch inhabitants without a history of pulmonary embolism (PE), Statistics Netherlands, 2015–22
- Participants
- >16 million inhabitants · 8 annual cohorts
- Exposure
- PE incidence and mortality in 2020–22 vs 2019
- Outcome
- 1-year risk of PE (hospital diagnoses/primary cause of death); 1-year all-cause mortality following PE
- Follow-up
- 1 year
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
PE incidence
Increase (95% CI)
2020 vs 2019
23%(20%–26%)
2021 vs 2019
52%(48%–56%)
2022 vs 2019
7%(4%–9%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
1-year all-cause mortality after PE
| Comparison | increase (CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 10% (6%–14%) | |
| 2021 | 9% (6%–13%) | |
| 2022 · insignificant | 2% (−1% to 6%) | |
| −1001020Difference (linear scale) |
1-year all-cause mortality after PE
- PE mortality stable until 2019
Traditional PE risk factors
- Most remained associated with PE in 2020–22 but generally with a weaker association
Sex differences
- Changes since 2020 generally greater in males than females
Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.
Original publication
Incidence, risk factors, and mortality of pulmonary embolism in the Netherlands (2015–22): sex differences and shifts during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Eur Heart J. Published 2 April 2025. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf211
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it