AHA Scientific Statement Addresses Pulmonary Embolism Treatment Disparities

March 20, 2025—The American Heart Association (AHA) announced the publication of a new scientific statement that summarizes differences in diagnosis, treatment strategies, and long-term outcomes related to pulmonary embolism (PE).

According to the AHA, disparities in the diagnosis or management of PE may exist with associations to race, ethnicity, sex, and socioeconomic status, leading to poorer outcomes, including embolic pulmonary hypertension and mortality. This scientific statement provides approaches to equitable care for people with PE, noted the press release.

According to the AHA, PE is responsible for approximately 100,000 deaths per year in the United States with the incidence of PE increasing over the past few decades. AHA noted that Black patients experience higher incidence, clinical severity, and age-adjusted mortality rates from PE compared with other racial and ethnic groups.

As outlined by AHA, the statement does the following:

• Identifies differences in the diagnosis, presentation, and management of PE associated with race, ethnicity, sex, or socioeconomic status
• Highlights additional risk factors for PE such as oral contraceptives, pregnancy, and hormone replacement therapy
• Reviews approaches to create equitable PE care and addresses the knowledge gaps in the literature, including the need for representation in research and clinical trials.

The statement, “Disparities in Current Pulmonary Embolism Management and Outcomes,” by Edwin A. Takahashi, MD, et al is available online in Circulation.

Dr. Takahashi, the chair of the writing group, is Assistant Professor of Radiology in the Division of Interventional Radiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The statement was created on behalf of the AHA Council on Cardiovascular Radiology and Intervention; the Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; the Council on Clinical Cardiology; and the Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease.