Improvement in proteinuria attenuates the occurrence of venous thromboembolism - A population-based cohort study

Q: What population was included in the study?

The study included 1,712,507 participants who underwent two successive health checkups during 2003–2004 and 2005–2006.

Q: How were proteinuria groups defined and followed?

Participants were categorized into normal, improved, progressed, and persistent-proteinuria groups based on changes in proteinuria status, then followed for VTE outcomes over a median of 14.5 years.

Q: What was the main finding about proteinuria improvement and VTE?

VTE risk was associated with both the change and severity of proteinuria status, and improvement in proteinuria was associated with a lower risk of VTE compared with persistent proteinuria.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Quinn Holloway

Improvement in proteinuria attenuates the occurrence of venous thromboembolism. This registry-based retrospective cohort study examined how changes in proteinuria status relate to VTE risk at the population level. Among 1,712,507 participants who completed two successive health checkups, 45,711 VTE events occurred over a median 14.5-year follow-up. Incidence risk increased with proteinuria severity across persistent, progressed, and improved groups, while the improved group showed lower risk than the persistent group.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Background

Venous thromboembolism and clinical burden

Proteinuria as a risk factor

Knowledge gap on proteinuria change

Methods

Study design and population

Outcomes and statistical analysis

Results

Group characteristics

VTE incidence across proteinuria trajectories

Conclusions

[www. nature.com/scientificreports](www. nature.com/scientificreports) OPEN Improvement in proteinuria attenuates the occurrence of venous thromboembolism: A population-based cohort study Ho Geol Woo1,2 & Tae-Jin Song2􀀍 Proteinuria contributes to venous thromboembolism (VTE), and its levels can change over time. This registry-based retrospective study investigated the association between changes in proteinuria status and VTE occurrence atthe population level. We included participants (n = 1,712,507) who underwent two successive health checkups during the initial period (2003 or 2004) and the subsequent period (2005 or 2006). Outcomes were defined as the occurrence of VTE, including deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary thromboembolism, and other venous thromboses, according to the International Classification of Diseases-10 code. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the occurrence of VTE based on changes in proteinuria. Over a median follow-up period of 14.5 years, 45,711 participants (event rate: 1.88%) experienced aVTE. Compared with the normal group, the incidence risk of VTE dose dependently increased with the severity of proteinuria in each of the persistent, progressed, and improved groups (p for trend < 0.001) . In a pairwise comparison, the risk of occurrence of VTE in the improved (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.18, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10–1.27), progressed (HR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.23–1.40), and persistent groups (HR: 1.88, 95% CI: 1.61–2.19) were higher than that of the normal group. In addition, the improved group had a lower risk of VTE occurrence than that of the persistent group (HR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.58–0.82, p < 0.001). Our study showed that the incidence risk of VTE was associated with change and severity of proteinuria status. Improvement in proteinuria may attenuate the occurrence of VTE. Keywords Mortality, Proteinuria, Urine, Venous thromboembolism Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major global health concern affecting approximately 10 million people worldwide every year1. A recent report indicated that the annual incidence of VTE ranges from 0.7 to 2.69 per thousand individuals2. However, with the global transition to an aging society, we anticipate further increases in the incidence of VTE1. Moreover, VTE, which encompasses conditions such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, substantially affects mortality and morbidity, with a high rate of recurrence2,3. Virchow postulated that the stagnation of blood flow, modifications in the vessel wall, and variations in blood composition contribute to thrombosis formation4. Although previous efforts to identify risk factors, including obesity, trauma, surgery, antiphospholipid syndrome, cancer, and prolonged bedridden state, are crucial to prevent VTE, further research is needed to gain additional insights into disease prevention5,6. Proteinuria, marked by the presence of surplus protein in the urine, is a risk factor for renal disease7,8. The urine dipstick test, due to its ease of use, rapid results, affordability, and satisfactory diagnostic accuracy, is commonly used for health screening to detect proteinuria9. Previous studies indicated that proteinuria is associated with an elevated risk of mortality, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, kidney failure, and cardiovascular disease10–13. Additionally, proteinuria can increase the risk of VTE, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism6, 14, 15. However, the influence of alterations in proteinuria, evaluated through urine dipstick testing, on the risk of VTE occurrence remains inadequately determined, with limited extensive longitudinal studies focusing on this correlation16. 1Department of Neurology and Critical Care Medicine, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 2Department of Neurology, Seoul Hospital, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, 260 Gonghangdaero, Gangseo-gu, Seoul 07804, Republic of Korea. 􀀍 email: [

FAQs

What population was included in the study?

The study included 1,712,507 participants who underwent two successive health checkups during 2003–2004 and 2005–2006.

How were proteinuria groups defined and followed?

Participants were categorized into normal, improved, progressed, and persistent-proteinuria groups based on changes in proteinuria status, then followed for VTE outcomes over a median of 14.5 years.

What was the main finding about proteinuria improvement and VTE?

VTE risk was associated with both the change and severity of proteinuria status, and improvement in proteinuria was associated with a lower risk of VTE compared with persistent proteinuria.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Quinn Holloway