Secondary Polycythemia and the Risk of Venous Thromboembolism

With an increasing incidence of obesity, sleep apnea and other chronic pulmonary diseases, the prevalence of secondary polycythemia is expected to rise in adults. Phlebotomy is commonly utilized in the management of secondary polycythemia. Although supported by a number of studies demonstrating a transient improvement in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular physiology, the benefit of phlebotomy is unclear with the possible exception in patients with hyperviscosity symptoms. The popularity of phlebotomy also reflects the overgeneralization of its survival advantage in polycythemia vera. Polycythemia vera, frequently accompanied by thrombocytosis, leukocytosis and enhanced adhesion of blood cells and endothelial cells, have an enhanced risk of thrombosis. Conversely, the risk of thrombosis associated with secondary polycythemia is uncertain. Using search terms, “secondary erythrocytosis” or “secondary polycythemia” and “thrombosis” or “embolism”, I reviewed studies evaluating the risk of arterial or venous thrombosis in adult patients with secondary polycythemia. Following inclusion criteria were used: English-language studies, published and PubMedindexed between 1990 and November 2013, adult patients, and polycythemia secondary to cardiac or pulmonary disease, smoking or idiopathic causes. Case reports were excluded. Five observational studies have determined the risk of thrombotic complications (Table 1). Three studies failed to demonstrate an elevated risk of arterial or venous thrombosis with secondary polycythemia [1-3]. A prospective study showed an increased risk of pulmonary embolism with polycythemia; however, the study included patients with respiratory distress and elevated D-dimer, did not match groups with and without polycythemia, and did not assess smoking history [4]. A retrospective case-control study from 1993 revealed a higher incidence of arterial and venous thrombosis in polycythemia vera (60%) compared to smoker’s polycythemia (41%). Such high incidence of thrombotic complications in secondary polycythemia group was the result of arterial events (92%), which is explained by the history of smoking and the possibility of undiagnosed underlying myeloproliferative disorder [5]. In conclusion, there is no definite evidence that secondary polycythemia per se increases the risk of thromboembolism. Taken together with the transient nature of any beneficial effects, concerns for potential risks such as hypotension and iron deficiency, phlebotomy should not be routinely utilized in the management of secondary polycythemia until it is supported by well-designed studies in the future. Future studies should also assess the possibility of increased thrombotic complications in certain subsets of secondary polycythemia such as those with additional risk factors, e.g., obesity [1] or varicose vein [4], and the possibility of an elevated risk of unprovoked venous thromboembolism [1, 4].