Clinical Characteristics, Risk Factors, and Graduated Compression Stockings Use among Patients with Venous Thromboembolism: A Multicenter Prospective Study

Abstract

This multicenter, prospective observational study included 442 patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) from 13 hospitals in Anhui Province, China, aiming to systematically analyze their clinical characteristics, risk factors, and use of graduated compression stockings (GCS). The results showed that deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was the predominant clinical presentation (97.1%), of which 87.8% were isolated DVT. Patients with concurrent DVT and pulmonary embolism (PE) had a significantly higher prevalence of pre-existing cardiovascular disease compared to those with isolated DVT or PE (P < 0.05). The five most common risk factors were: history of COVID-19 infection (48.2%), hypertension (28.5%), smoking history (15.6%), obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 28 kg/m², 14.5%), followed by diabetes mellitus and admission for surgical treatment (10.0% each). Among patients with lower-extremity DVT, long-term adherence to graduated compression stockings (GCS) following discharge was suboptimal: only 26.1% maintained consistent use over two months, while 63.7% never used GCS during the entire follow-up period. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that a history of COVID-19 infection (OR = 0.227, 95% CI: 0.139–0.370) and BMI (OR = 1.069, 95% CI: 1.006–1.136) were independent predictors of sustained GCS use. This study provides real-world data on the disease spectrum, risk profile, and secondary prevention practices of VTE patients in a regional Chinese population, offering important evidence for targeted strategies to improve post-discharge GCS adherence and optimize long-term comprehensive management.

Keywords

Venous thromboembolism / Clinical characteristics / Risk factors / Graduated compression stockings / Multicenter prospective study

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