Lower risk of venous thromboembolism in multiple Asian ethnic groups

Lower risk of venous thromboembolism in Asians compared to Whites has been suggested. Despite the biological and cultural diversity of Asian Americans, data are sparse for specific ethnic groups. In our prior study of lower Asian American risk, the small number of subjects (337 in all races) precluded accurate study of specific Asian American groups. We present here a new study with 4674 venous thromboembolism subjects diagnosed between 1996 and 2015. Our study population was derived from 61,459 voluntary health examinees in a comprehensive northern California health plan with self-classified ethnicity: 53.0% Whites, 28.4% Blacks, 11.6% ASAMs, 6.8% Others. Of Asian Americans, 44.7% were Chinese, 32.8% Filipinos, 12.9% Japanese, 4.5% South Asians, and 5.0% Other Asians. Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos, and Other Asians each had lower venous thromboembolism risk than both Whites and South Asians, who had risk similar to each other. These data indirectly support a genetic explanation.