"Risk of Venous Thrombosis in Pregnant Women Increases with Maternal Age"

Seoul National University Bundang Hospital Professor Bang Su-mi's Research Team
Increased Risk of Thrombosis in Multiple Pregnancy and Cesarean Section Mothers
40s Mothers Have Three Times Higher Incidence Compared to 20s Mothers

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] A study has found that the risk of venous thromboembolism in pregnant women is higher when the mother is older or has multiple pregnancies and delivers by cesarean section. As the average age of childbirth increases recently, special attention to venous thromboembolism is necessary.

Sumi Bang, Professor of Hematology and Oncology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital.

Professor Bang Su-mi of the Department of Hematology and Oncology at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital and Professor Hwang Heon-gyu of the Department of Respiratory Allergy at Soonchunhyang University Gumi Hospital announced on the 14th that their research team confirmed this after analyzing the incidence of venous thromboembolism in pregnant women in Korea.

Venous thromboembolism is a disease in which blood clots (thrombi) form due to stagnation of blood flow caused by venous obstruction. Its frequency has steadily increased in Korea due to population aging and lifestyle changes. The most common site is the deep veins of the legs, but when the thrombus travels through the bloodstream to the heart and blocks part or all of the pulmonary artery (pulmonary embolism), it can cause hypotension, shock, and even cardiac arrest, making early diagnosis and rapid treatment through anticoagulation therapy crucial. In particular, during pregnancy, the blood coagulation system is activated, making pregnancy itself a major cause of venous thromboembolism.

The research team divided the period into the first phase (2006?2010) and the second phase (2014?2018) to identify changes in the incidence of venous thromboembolism by age group among pregnant women in Korea and analyzed factors that increase the risk of venous thromboembolism. As a result, a total of 510 cases of venous thromboembolism occurred among all pregnant women in the second phase (2014?2018), of which 321 cases (63%) occurred within six weeks after delivery. During the same period, the incidence rate of venous thromboembolism per 10,000 deliveries was 2.62 cases, which is 3.2 times higher than the 0.82 cases in the first phase. Especially, the incidence rate among mothers in their 40s was 5.36 cases, three times higher than that of mothers in their 20s (1.8 cases). Additionally, compared to singleton pregnancies, mothers with multiple (twin) pregnancies had a 4.27 times higher incidence rate of thrombosis, and compared to natural delivery, mothers who delivered by cesarean section had a 2.99 times higher incidence rate.

Changes in the incidence rate of venous thrombosis in pregnant women per 10,000 deliveries by age group. The increase was particularly high in women in their 40s. [Data provided by Bundang Seoul National University Hospital]

Professor Bang Su-mi said, "By analyzing the risk of venous thromboembolism in all mothers who gave birth in Korea and comparing changes over time, this study is meaningful for women planning delivery and healthcare providers treating mothers of increasingly older age groups." Professor Hwang Heon-gyu added, "Asian countries with venous thromboembolism incidence rates similar to Korea may refer to these research results, and we hope this will lead to large-scale studies within Asia in the future, contributing to maternal and child health."

This study was published in the recent issue of the international academic journal 'Thrombosis and Haemostasis (IF: 6.681)'.

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