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Bleeding and thrombosis complicate essential thrombocythemia (ET) and do not show obvious associations with the platelet count. Because medications such as aspirin and anagrelide can alter platelet function, recognizing whether a patient has thrombotic risk factors influences therapeutic choices.
An international team of investigators evaluated risk factors for thrombosis in 891 patients who met WHO criteria for ET (sustained platelet count >450×109/L, marrow with increased megakaryocytes, and no reactive cause for thrombocytosis).
After a median follow-up of 6.2 years, the incidence of fatal and nonfatal arterial events was 1.9% patient-years (95% confidence interval, 1.6–2.3). The incidence of nonfatal arterial events was higher than the in…