Table 1.
Patient characteristics at the time of the index venous thromboembolism (VTE) by growth arrest‐specific gene 6 (Gas6) plasma level (above versus below or at the median)
| Characteristic* | All | Gas6 level above median (> 129%) | Gas6 level below or at median (≤ 129%) | P‐value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) or median (IQR) | n (%) or median (IQR) | |||
| Total number of patients | 864 | 435 | 429 | |
| Patient age (years) | 75.0 (69.0–81.0) | 76.0 (70.0–82.0) | 74.0 (69.0–80.0) | 0.001 |
| Female sex | 388 (44.9) | 207 (47.6) | 181 (42.2) | 0.111 |
| VTE location | ||||
| Distal DVT only | 70 (8.1) | 29 (6.7) | 41 (9.6) | 0.053 |
| Proximal DVT | 195 (22.6) | 111 (25.5) | 84 (19.6) | |
| Pulmonary embolism | 599 (69.3) | 295 (67.8) | 304 (70.9) | |
| Type of VTE† | ||||
| Unprovoked | 522 (60.4) | 242 (55.6) | 280 (65.3) | < 0.001 |
| Provoked | 185 (21.4) | 92 (21.1) | 93 (21.7) | |
| Cancer‐related* | 157 (18.2) | 101 (23.2) | 56 (13.1) | |
| Estrogen therapy during the last 3 months* | 27 (3.1) | 9 (2.1) | 18 (4.2) | 0.073 |
| Immobilization during the last 3 months | 190 (22.0) | 115 (26.4) | 75 (17.5) | 0.001 |
| Major surgery during the last 3 months | 131 (15.2) | 72 (16.6) | 59 (13.8) | 0.251 |
| Prior VTE | 251 (29.1) | 125 (28.7) | 126 (29.4) | 0.837 |
| Presence of PTS* , ‡ | 453 (52.4) | 251 (57.7) | 202 (47.1) | 0.003 |
| History of major bleeding* | 89 (10.3) | 54 (12.4) | 35 (8.2) | 0.039 |
| Chronic liver disease | 13 (1.5) | 10 (2.3) | 3 (0.7) | 0.053 |
| Renal disease§ | 170 (19.7) | 97 (22.3) | 73 (17.0) | 0.051 |
| Chronic or acute heart failure | 103 (11.9) | 57 (13.1) | 46 (10.7) | 0.280 |
| Cerebrovascular disease (stroke, TIA) | 84 (9.7) | 44 (10.1) | 40 (9.3) | 0.695 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 137 (15.9) | 79 (18.2) | 58 (13.5) | 0.062 |
| BMI > 30* | 201 (23.3) | 107 (24.6) | 94 (21.9) | 0.360 |
| High risk of falling* , ¶ | 406 (47.0) | 233 (53.6) | 173 (40.3) | < 0.001 |
| Acute rheumatic disease during the last 3 months | 29 (3.4) | 17 (3.9) | 12 (2.8) | 0.365 |
| Inflammatory bowel disease | 31 (3.6) | 9 (2.1) | 22 (5.1) | 0.016 |
| Severe infection or sepsis during the last 3 months | 71 (8.2) | 42 (9.7) | 29 (6.8) | 0.121 |
| Anemia* , ** | 335 (38.8) | 206 (47.4) | 129 (30.1) | < 0.001 |
| Platelet count of < 150 G L−1 * | 132 (15.3) | 78 (17.9) | 54 (12.6) | 0.039 |
| Antiplatelet therapy†† | 275 (31.8) | 147 (33.8) | 128 (29.8) | 0.212 |
| Arterial hypertension | 552 (63.9) | 289 (66.4) | 263 (61.3) | 0.116 |
| Heart rate of ≥ 110 beats min−1 * | 79 (9.1) | 49 (11.3) | 30 (7.0) | 0.031 |
| Systolic BP of < 100 mmHg* | 28 (3.2) | 13 (3.0) | 15 (3.5) | 0.664 |
| Respiratory rate of ≥ 30 min−1 * | 28 (3.2) | 16 (3.7) | 12 (2.8) | 0.469 |
| Temperature of < 36 °C* | 65 (7.5) | 27 (6.2) | 38 (8.9) | 0.119 |
| Arterial oxygen saturation of < 90%* | 93 (10.8) | 62 (14.3) | 31 (7.2) | 0.001 |
BP, blood pressure; BMI, body mass index; DVT, deep vein thrombosis; IQR, interquartile range, PTS, post‐thrombotic syndrome; TIA, transient ischemic attack. *Values were missing for estrogen therapy during the last 3 months (0.1%), presence of PTS (1.9%), history of major bleeding (0.1%), BMI > 30 (0.6%), high risk of falling (0.1%), anemia (5.8%), platelet count (5.8%), heart rate of ≥ 110 beats min−1 (2.1%), systolic BP of < 100 mmHg (1.6%), respiratory rate of ≥ 30 min−1 (21.1%), temperature of < 36°C (7.8%), and arterial oxygen saturation of < 90% (21.3%). †Provoked VTE is defined as immobilization, surgery or estrogen therapy during the last 3 months. Cancer is defined as any solid or hematological cancer that required chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgical treatment or palliative treatment during the last 3 months. ‡Defined as a Villalta score of > 5 or the presence of an ulcer on the left or right side. §Chronic renal disease or creatinine clearance of < 30 mL min−1. ¶Defined as answering yes to at least one screening question: (i) Did you fall during the last year? (ii) Did you notice any problem with gait, balance, or mobility? **Anemia: a hemoglobin level of < 12 g dL−1 for females or of < 13 g dL−1 for males. ††Defined as antiplatelet therapy such as aspirin 100–300 mg daily, clopidogrel, prasugrel or aspirin/dipyridamole at the time of the index VTE.