Parkinson's disease patients have higher incident DVT versus other neurodegenerative diseases

Key risk factors for DVT in these patients included having a smaller waist circumference, being female, longer disease duration & notably high blood pressure variability. The findings, published in the Journal of the Neurological Sciences, highlight the need for heightened DVT vigilance among Parkinson's disease patients.

The researchers showed a noticeable difference in the incidence of leg DVT among neurodegenerative diseases, and that the PD diagnosis could be a risk factor for leg DVT, female patients with smaller waists tended to have leg DVT formation, and a high ARV is a possible indicator for leg DVT in PD patients.

Deep vein thrombosis may occur in patients with neurological diseases, and if the thrombus develops in the pulmonary artery, it may be fatal. Since DVT prevalence increases with age, it is likely that the prevalence of DVT also increases in neurodegenerative diseases occurring primarily in late middle-aged and older adults.

There is limited information on the risk factors and incidence of deep vein thrombosis in neurodegenerative diseases. To fill this knowledge gap, Takahiro Takeda, National Hospital Organization Chibahigashi National Hospital, Chiba, Japan, and colleagues aimed to determine the DVT incidence among neurodegenerative disorders (Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy-corticobasal syndrome) and the risk factors for DVT development.

The study included 229 hospitalized patients with neurodegenerative diseases (50 patients with PSP-CBS, 53 with MSA, 61 with PD, and 65 with ALS). D-dimer value and ultrasonography of the leg vein were evaluated to determine the absence or presence of leg DVT. The researchers compared the DVT incidence among each disease group. A multivariate analysis was performed to identify the risk factors for DVT.

Based on the study, the following inferences were drawn:

· Of 229 patients, 34 had leg DVT; the incidence was significantly higher in patients with PD (38%) than in those with ALS (2%), MSA (5%), or PSP-CBS (4%).

· Patients with DVT were older, had a smaller waist circumference, had a longer disease duration, and had a high BP variability.

· Multivariate analysis revealed that a PD diagnosis and female sex, with a high BP variability, were predictive of leg DVT.

"The findings showed that among the neurodegenerative diseases, the incidence of deep vein thrombosis was markedly higher in PD than in ALS, MSA, and PSP-CBS," the researchers wrote. "Several risk factors have been identified in patients with leg DVT."

"Recognition of these risk factors will improve patient care and guide the appropriate anticoagulant use," the group concluded.

Reference:

Takeda, T., Koreki, A., Kokubun, S., Saito, Y., Ishikawa, A., Isose, S., Ito, K., Arai, K., Kitagawa, K., Kuwabara, S., & Honda, K. (2024). Deep vein thrombosis and its risk factors in neurodegenerative diseases: A markedly higher incidence in Parkinson's disease. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 122896. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jns.2024.122896