Prediction of the risk of recurrence of venous thrombosis - validity of the Vienna Prediction Model confirmed

A prediction model can be used to identify people affected by venous thromboembolism who have only a low risk of recurrence and may not require long-term blood thinning. The validity of this "Vienna Prediction Model" developed at MedUni Vienna has now been confirmed in a large-scale clinical study and the results have been published in the renowned European Heart Journal. This study, conducted over several years in collaboration with MedUni Graz at the Division of Hematology and Hemostaseology at the Department of Internal Medicine I at MedUni Vienna, investigated how well the Vienna Prediction Model is able to identify the risk of recurrence in patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE), so that the long-term administration of anticoagulant ("blood-thinning") drugs can possibly be dispensed with. The study included 818 patients with deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism who received blood thinning medication for an average of four months. The prediction model was applied to these patients three weeks after discontinuation of blood thinning. In 520 (65%) of these patients, the risk of relapse was considered rather low according to the Vienna Prediction Model. These patients were followed for two years to see if recurrence of VTE actually occurred.