EHJ review of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) epidemiology. As ageing populations live longer with chronic diseases associated with venous thromboembolism, PE remains a major public health challenge. Like myocardial infarction and stroke, PE is linked to established cardiovascular risk factors — age, obesity, smoking and chronic inflammatory conditions. Yet population-based primary and secondary prevention strategies remain limited. The authors call for a comprehensive public-health approach that addresses not only acute events and transient risk factors but also community-level risk assessment and long-term prevention, supported by improved clinician education and public awareness.
As the global population ages and individuals live longer with chronic diseases associated with venous thromboembolism, acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is expected to remain a major public health challenge. Like myocardial infarction and stroke, PE is linked to established cardiovascular risk factors, including advancing age, obesity, smoking, and chronic inflammatory conditions. Despite this, population-based primary and secondary prevention strategies for PE remain limited, highlighting the need for an updated epidemiological understanding. A comprehensive public health approach to PE should encompass not only the management of acute events and transient risk factors but also a detailed appreciation of epidemiology and risk patterns across populations and communities, to support clinician education, public awareness, long-term individual and community risk assessment, ultimately preventive efforts. In this review, we summarize current epidemiological evidence, highlighting trends on modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for acute PE, with the goal of informing strategies for improved prevention and population health management.
