Lipid profile and mortality in patients with pulmonary thromboembolism; a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract

Acute pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is a life-threatening disease. Considering the availability and accessibility of assessing the serum lipids, this study aims todefine the predictive value of lipid profile, as well as the history of lipid disorders, for the mortality of PTE patients. Clinical studies, in which the relation of lipid profile, including triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and total cholesterol, as well as history of imbalance of lipids, with mortality of PTE patients was reported, were included. Non-English articles, reviews, letters, editorials, and non-English papers were excluded. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Therisk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal tools and CMA 4 was utilized forthe quantitative synthesis. Out of 3,724 records, six studies were included inthis systematic review. Lipid profile is suggested as a prognostic marker for survival in patients with PTE so higher initial serum HDL, LDL, and total cholesterol levels were associated with lower mortality rates in PTE patients. In addition, dyslipidemia was found to be associated withmortality of PTE patients. Based on the quantitative synthesis, there was a greater serum level of HDL in thesurvival group (standardized mean difference:-0.98; 95 %CI:-1.22 to-0.75; p-value<0.01). Mortality is lower in PTE patients with greater serum lipid levels; therefore, the early prognosis of PTE maybe ascertained by measuring serum lipids within the first 24 h of admission.