d-Dimer elevation and adverse outcomes

• Published in: Journal of thrombosis and thrombolysis Vol. 39; no. 1; pp. 55 - 59
• Main Authors: Halaby, Rim, Popma, Christopher J., Cohen, Ander, Chi, Gerald, Zacarkim, Marcelo Rodrigues, Romero, Gonzalo, Goldhaber, Samuel Z., Hull, Russell, Hernandez, Adrian, Mentz, Robert, Harrington, Robert, Lip, Gregory, Peacock, Frank, Welker, James, Martin-Loeches, Ignacio, Daaboul, Yazan, Korjian, Serge, Gibson, C. Michael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.01.2015; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biomarkers - blood; Cardiology; Female; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products - metabolism; Fibrinolytic Agents - therapeutic use; Hematology; Humans; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Venous Thromboembolism - blood; Venous Thromboembolism - drug therapy; Venous Thromboembolism - mortality; Venous Thrombosis - blood; Venous Thrombosis - drug therapy; Venous Thrombosis - mortality; Pulmonary embolism; Deep vein thrombosis; Dimer; Prognosis; Mortality
• ISSN: 0929-5305; 1573-742X; 1573-742X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11239-014-1101-6

d -Dimer is a biomarker of fibrin formation and degradation. While a d -dimer within normal limits is used to rule out the diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism among patients with a low clinical probability of venous thromboembolism (VTE), the prognostic association of an elevated d -dimer with adverse outcomes has received far less emphasis. An elevated d -dimer is independently associated with an increased risk for incident VTE, recurrent VTE, and mortality. An elevated d -dimer is an independent correlate of increased mortality and subsequent VTE across a broad variety of disease states. Therefore, medically ill subjects in whom the d -dimer is elevated constitute a high risk subgroup in which the prospective evaluation of the efficacy and safety of antithrombotic therapy is warranted.