New findings from the REAL-PE analysis, presented at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2024 Scientific Sessions, reveal significant disparities in the treatment of catheter-based pulmonary embolism (PE). The study highlights that women and Black patients are less frequently treated with minimally invasive therapies compared to their male and non-Black counterparts. Pulmonary embolism, often stemming from deep vein thrombosis (DVT), affects approximately 900,000 individuals in the U.S. annually, with a mortality rate of 10-30% within one month of diagnosis. Ultrasound-assisted catheter-directed thrombolysis (USCDT) and mechanical thrombectomy (MT) are common invasive treatment options that facilitate faster restoration of blood flow by delivering clot-busting medications directly into the thrombus. The REAL-PE analysis examined data from over 430,000 PE patients in the Truveta database, focusing on around 2,000 individuals who received invasive treatments. The results indicate that women and Black patients had lower rates of invasive therapy utilization and experienced higher bleeding complications than men and white patients. Lead author Dr. Sahil A. Parikh, Associate Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, emphasized the importance of utilizing real-world data to evaluate the effectiveness of advanced therapies, especially in underrepresented populations. The findings underline the need to address existing healthcare disparities to improve patient outcomes. The session titled “Disparities in Pulmonary Embolism Care: Insights from Big Data Analytics” took place on May 3, 2024, at the Long Beach Convention Center, highlighting the critical need for further investigation into the treatment landscape for PE to ensure equitable care for all patients.
November 5, 2024
