Risk Factors and Clinical Outcomes for Patients with Venous Thromboembolism in Kenya: Findings from the HEART Registry.

DVT was the most common VTE presentation in the Kenyan registry, followed by PE and combined DVT/PE.

• 422 patients with VTE were prospectively enrolled across three major tertiary centers in Kenya over three years (2021–2024).
• DVT was the most common presentation at 54% of cases.
• PE accounted for 38.4% of presentations.
• The remaining cases were combined DVT and PE presentations.

The median age of VTE patients in Kenya was notably younger than typically reported in Western populations.

• The median age was 46.5 years.
• This is described as 'notably younger than typically reported in Western populations.'
• The registry recruited patients prospectively from three facilities in Kenya.
• Data were summarized using descriptive statistics including medians and interquartile ranges.

Nearly half of VTE patients in Kenya had no identifiable risk factors, representing unprovoked VTE.

• 49.5% of patients did not have any identifiable risk factors.
• This pattern is described as 'consistent with global data on unprovoked VTE.'
• The authors note this 'highlights the need for caution in attributing VTE solely to preventable causes.'
• No pre-specified inferential or comparative analyses were planned, consistent with the descriptive registry design.

Low molecular weight heparin was the most common acute-phase treatment, while direct oral anticoagulants recommended as first-line therapy were underutilized.

• The most common acute-phase treatment was low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) at 57.5% of patients.
• Warfarin was used in 28.6% of patients.
• Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), recommended as first-line therapy by current international guidelines, were available but underutilized, 'reflecting access constraints.'
• Only 1.7% of participants received thrombolytic therapy.

In-hospital mortality during the acute phase was 10.4% among admitted VTE patients.

• 10.4% (n=31) of admitted participants died during the acute phase.
• The median length of hospital stay was eight days.
• Mortality was described as 'driven predominantly by underlying comorbidities.'
• The registry enrolled patients from three tertiary centers in Kenya.

An additional 39 patients died by six-month follow-up after the acute hospitalization period.

• At six-month follow-up, death occurred in an additional 39 patients beyond the 31 who died during the acute phase.
• Combined, acute and six-month mortality represented a substantial proportion of enrolled patients.
• Mortality was attributed predominantly to underlying comorbidities.
• The findings highlight VTE-associated mortality as high in this sub-Saharan African setting.

The HEART Registry was established in 2021 as a prospective, descriptive registry of VTE patients at three Kenyan tertiary centers.

• The registry recruited patients prospectively over three years.
• Data collected included patient demographics, risk factors for VTE, hospital course, and clinical outcomes over six months.
• Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data, presenting findings as frequencies, percentages, medians, and interquartile ranges.
• No pre-specified inferential or comparative analyses were planned.

Preventing VTE in acute medical conditions was identified as a major area of concern in the Kenyan context.

• The authors state that 'preventing VTE in acute medical conditions remains a major area of concern.'
• Future prospective studies were called for 'to identify novel population specific risk factors and optimize outcomes in this setting.'
• The high proportion of unprovoked VTE and high mortality highlight unmet needs in sub-Saharan Africa.
• The study is described as addressing a gap given that 'more comprehensive studies, especially in sub-Saharan Africa' are needed.