Dispensed prescription medications and short-term risk of pulmonary embolism in Norway and Sweden

Bibliographic Details
Title: Dispensed prescription medications and short-term risk of pulmonary embolism in Norway and Sweden
Authors: Dagfinn Aune, Ioannis Vardaxis, Bo Henry Lindqvist, Ben Michael Brumpton, Linn Beate Strand, Jens Wilhelm Horn, Inger Johanne Bakken, Pål Richard Romundstad, Kenneth J. Mukamal, Rickard Ljung, Imre Janszky, Abhijit Sen
Source: Scientific Reports, Vol 14, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2024)
Publisher Information: Nature Portfolio, 2024.
Publication Year: 2024
Collection: LCC:Medicine
LCC:Science
Subject Terms: Medications, Drugs, Pulmonary embolism, Medicine, Science
More Details: Abstract Scandinavian electronic health-care registers provide a unique setting to investigate potential unidentified side effects of drugs. We analysed the association between prescription drugs dispensed in Norway and Sweden and the short-term risk of developing pulmonary embolism. A total of 12,104 pulmonary embolism cases were identified from patient- and cause-of-death registries in Norway (2004–2014) and 36,088 in Sweden (2005–2014). A case-crossover design was used to compare individual drugs dispensed 1–30 days before the date of pulmonary embolism diagnosis with dispensation in a 61–90 day time-window, while controlling for the receipt of other drugs. A BOLASSO approach was used to select drugs that were associated with short-term risk of pulmonary embolism. Thirty-eight drugs were associated with pulmonary embolism in the combined analysis of the Norwegian and Swedish data. Drugs associated with increased risk of pulmonary embolism included certain proton-pump inhibitors, antibiotics, antithrombotics, vasodilators, furosemide, anti-varicose medications, corticosteroids, immunostimulants (pegfilgrastim), opioids, analgesics, anxiolytics, antidepressants, antiprotozoals, and drugs for cough and colds. Mineral supplements, hydrochlorothiazide and potassium-sparing agents, beta-blockers, angiotensin 2 receptor blockers, statins, and methotrexate were associated with lower risk. Most associations persisted, and several additional drugs were associated, with pulmonary embolism when using a longer time window of 90 days instead of 30 days. These results provide exploratory, pharmacopeia-wide evidence of medications that may increase or decrease the risk of pulmonary embolism. Some of these findings were expected based on the drugs' indications, while others are novel and require further study as potentially modifiable precipitants of pulmonary embolism.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 2045-2322
Relation: https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-69637-4
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/cfd99f06f5c94f0a9eb530d2210cb4ba
Accession Number: edsdoj.fd99f06f5c94f0a9eb530d2210cb4ba
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
Full text is not displayed to guests.
More Details
ISSN:20452322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-69637-4
Published in:Scientific Reports
Language:English