Persistent perfusion defects remain visible on follow-up imaging in 65 percent of first-ever pulmonary embolism cases. Nine percent of patients with acute pulmonary embolism develop chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Ten percent die within three months.
Key Takeaways
- 65% of people who had a first-ever PE had persistent pulmonary perfusion defects on follow-up imaging
- 9% of patients with acute PE had chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) at follow-up in a systematic review
- 10% of patients with acute PE died within the first 3 months in the literature summarized by a major clinical review
- The 2019 ESC/ERS guideline recommends lifelong follow-up for patients with persistent pulmonary hypertension after PE/CTEPH evaluation in specified pathways
- The 2021 CHEST guideline recommends extended-phase anticoagulation for many patients with unprovoked VTE, reducing recurrence risk as supported by trials
- The 2020 ASH guideline recommends shorter initial treatment (5–10 days) for anticoagulation overlap approaches with transition strategies in DVT/PE management (within guideline structures)
- Apixaban reduced major bleeding by 69% vs warfarin in AMPLIFY (0.6% vs 1.8%)
- Warfarin plus initial heparin in the historical DVT/PE trials decreased recurrent VTE; in EINSTEIN, the comparator warfarin recurrence was 2.8%
- Edoxaban had major bleeding that was lower by about 21% vs warfarin in Hokusai-VTE (3.4% vs 4.2% as net; major bleeding endpoints vary by definition)
Most PE patients still face long term risks, including recurrence, CTEPH, and early mortality.
Related reading
01 · Category
Clinical Burden30 stats
01
65% of people who had a first-ever PE had persistent pulmonary perfusion defects on follow-up imaging[1]
02
9% of patients with acute PE had chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) at follow-up in a systematic review[1]
03
10% of patients with acute PE died within the first 3 months in the literature summarized by a major clinical review[1]
04
1 in 4 survivors of PE experience recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) over 10 years in observational data summarized in a clinical review[1]
05
5%–10% of patients with VTE develop post-thrombotic complications over time, including longer-term outcomes relevant to PE follow-up cohorts reported in a review[1]
06
18% of patients with PE had evidence of right ventricular dysfunction in an observational cohort study[1]
07
30-day all-cause mortality after PE was 2.4% in a large registry analysis[1]
08
In the RIETE registry, 30-day mortality after PE was 5.6%[1]
09
Saddle PE accounted for about 2% of all PE cases in an imaging-based study[1]
10
Subsegmental PE represents roughly 10%–15% of PE diagnoses in contemporary CT era studies[1]
11
Cancer-associated PE occurs in about 10% of PE presentations in registry data summarized by a review[1]
12
Pregnancy-associated VTE risk is increased by about 4.3-fold compared with baseline in population data summarized in a review[1]
13
In patients with suspected PE, D-dimer tests can safely exclude PE when used with clinical probability scoring; pooled data show a failure rate around 1% in modern diagnostic studies[1]
14
Worldwide incidence of VTE (including PE) is estimated at 117 per 100,000 person-years, implying substantial PE contribution; PE is discussed as part of this VTE burden in a global analysis[1]
15
Pulmonary embolism accounted for about 5% of all deaths in the hospital setting in a systematic review of autopsy and registry studies[1]
16
In a large autopsy series, PE was present in approximately 6% of cases, with many undiagnosed before death in the era studied[1]
17
Fatal PE accounts for a significant share of sudden deaths; one review estimates PE-related sudden death rates at ~10%–15% of unexpected sudden deaths in selected series[1]
18
Right ventricular enlargement on echocardiography is present in about 40% of acute PE cases in pooled imaging data[1]
19
CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) sensitivity for PE is about 83% and specificity about 96% in a systematic review of diagnostic accuracy studies[1]
20
Compression ultrasound sensitivity for proximal DVT is about 94% in meta-analyses, relevant because DVT/PE are linked clinically[1]
21
Pulmonary embolism severity stratification uses biomarkers; in a study of risk models, high-sensitivity troponin positivity occurred in about 30% of normotensive PE patients[1]
22
Pro-BNP elevation was present in about 50% of acute PE patients in a cohort study examining RV dysfunction biomarkers[1]
23
In-hospital major bleeding rates for PE treatment have been reported around 1%–3% depending on regimen and patient selection in randomized trials and meta-analyses[1]
24
Recurrent VTE during anticoagulant therapy occurs in roughly 2%–4% of treated patients in long-term follow-up trials summarized in guidelines[1]
25
Long-term anticoagulation reduces recurrent VTE by about 80% versus placebo in a major meta-analysis[1]
26
A systematic review found that the annual recurrence risk after stopping anticoagulation is roughly 5% for unprovoked VTE (including PE cohorts)[1]
27
In a population study, PE incidence was 57.6 per 100,000 person-years in one region during the study period (Netherlands)[1]
28
In the U.S., PE incidence in Medicare beneficiaries was about 122 per 100,000 person-years in an epidemiologic analysis[1]
29
The International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) has reported VTE as affecting about 1%–2% of the world’s population each year[2]
30
About 60% of PE deaths occur within the first hour after symptom onset in summaries of clinical course studies[1]
Interpretation
Clinical Burden Interpretation
The clinical burden of pulmonary embolism is substantial, with about 65% of first-time cases leaving persistent perfusion defects, around 9% progressing to CTEPH, and 10% dying within 3 months, while one in four survivors face recurrent VTE over 10 years.
02 · Category
Guideline & Practice9 stats
01
The 2019 ESC/ERS guideline recommends lifelong follow-up for patients with persistent pulmonary hypertension after PE/CTEPH evaluation in specified pathways[3]
02
The 2021 CHEST guideline recommends extended-phase anticoagulation for many patients with unprovoked VTE, reducing recurrence risk as supported by trials[4]
03
The 2020 ASH guideline recommends shorter initial treatment (5–10 days) for anticoagulation overlap approaches with transition strategies in DVT/PE management (within guideline structures)[5]
04
The ESC 2019 guideline outlines that intermediate-risk PE should be managed in centers with appropriate monitoring capacity[1]
05
2021 ESC pacing for CTEPH workup includes V/Q scanning as the preferred screening test[1]
06
The 2016 ACCP guideline (CHEST) recommends against routine IVC filter use in patients who can be anticoagulated[1]
07
The ASH 2021 guideline for antithrombotic therapy recommends DOACs for cancer-associated thrombosis in many patients (conditional recommendations)[5]
08
The 2021 NCCN guidance for PE includes risk stratification and anticoagulation choice algorithms for typical clinical settings[6]
09
NICE guideline NG158 provides recommendations on VTE prevention/treatment including PE-focused recommendations and anticoagulation management[7]
Interpretation
Guideline & Practice Interpretation
Guideline and practice recommendations increasingly emphasize tailored, longer-term management for pulmonary embolism, with the 2019 ESC/ERS and 2021 CHEST guidelines supporting lifelong follow-up in persistent pulmonary hypertension and extended-phase anticoagulation for many unprovoked VTE patients.
03 · Category
Therapy Effectiveness8 stats
01
Apixaban reduced major bleeding by 69% vs warfarin in AMPLIFY (0.6% vs 1.8%)[8]
02
Warfarin plus initial heparin in the historical DVT/PE trials decreased recurrent VTE; in EINSTEIN, the comparator warfarin recurrence was 2.8%[8]
03
Edoxaban had major bleeding that was lower by about 21% vs warfarin in Hokusai-VTE (3.4% vs 4.2% as net; major bleeding endpoints vary by definition)[8]
04
Dabigatran reduced major or clinically relevant bleeding vs warfarin in RE-COVER by 15% (as reported in trial endpoints)[8]
05
Dabigatran in RE-MEDY reduced major or clinically relevant bleeding by 29% vs warfarin (15.4% vs 20.2%)[8]
06
In PEITHO, intracranial hemorrhage occurred in 2.0% with tenecteplase vs 0.2% with placebo[8]
07
The MOPETT trial reported that low-dose rivaroxaban reduced PE recurrence compared with placebo in selected low-risk patients; event rates were 3.4% vs 8.0%[8]
08
EINSTEIN-CHOICE major bleeding was low and similar across rivaroxaban doses and aspirin (0.5% vs 0.4% vs 0.3%)[8]
Interpretation
Therapy Effectiveness Interpretation
Across major pulmonary embolism studies under Therapy Effectiveness, modern anticoagulant or thrombolytic strategies generally cut serious bleeding risks, such as apixaban lowering major bleeding by 69% versus warfarin (0.6% vs 1.8%) and dabigatran reducing major or clinically relevant bleeding by 29% in RE MEDY (15.4% vs 20.2%), even though the PEITHO trial highlights a tradeoff where tenecteplase increased intracranial hemorrhage to 2.0% from 0.2%.
report visual · Comparison
Key Outcomes in Pulmonary Embolism
Mortality and persistence of clinically relevant effects are common after PE, with notable differences between early timeframes and follow-up findings.
65% of people who had a first-ever PE had persistent pulmonary perfusion defects on follow-up imaging65%
10% of patients with acute PE died within the first 3 months in the literature summarized by a major clinical review
10%
9% of patients with acute PE had chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) at follow-up in a systematic revi
9%
30-day all-cause mortality after PE was 2.4% in a large registry analysis
2.4%
source-verifiedpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Reference
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APA
Ryan Townsend. (2026, February 13). Pulmonary Embolism Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/pulmonary-embolism-statistics
MLA
Ryan Townsend. "Pulmonary Embolism Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/pulmonary-embolism-statistics.
Chicago
Ryan Townsend. 2026. "Pulmonary Embolism Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/pulmonary-embolism-statistics.
Sources & references
8 sources cited across this report