Tefferi and Barbui identified risk factors for patients with polycythemia vera. This can help stratify patients into risk groups that can be used to plan therapy. The authors are from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester and the Ospedale Riuniti in Bergamo, Italy.
NOTE: The risk factors are the same as for essential thrombocythemia (primary thrombocytosis).
Parameters:
(1) age
(2) history of thrombosis
(3) cardiovascular risk factors (smoking, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia)
(4) platelet count
Criteria for low risk - all of the following:
(1) age < 60 years
(2) no history of thrombosis
(3) platelet count < 1,500,000 per µL
(4) no cardiovascular risk factors
Criteria for high risk - one or more of the following:
(1) age >= 60 years
(2) history of thrombosis
Criteria for indeterminate risk - neither low or high risk, or all of the following:
(1) age < 60 years
(2) either platelet count >= 1,500,000 per µL OR cardiovascular risk factors present
(3) no history of thrombosis