Polycythemia epidemiology and demographics

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] ; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Debduti Mukhopadhyay, M.B.B.S[2]

• Not usually diagnosed in individuals below 60 years of age. Slightly more prevalent in men than in women according to some studies.

• The incidence of polycythemia vera is approximately 1.9 per 100,000 individuals in the United States.^[1][2][3]
• Taking into account all races and ethnicities, the incidence is approximately 2.8 per 100,000 males and 1.3 per 100,000 in females.

• The prevalence of polycythemia vera in the 7 MM countries was 283,442 in 2017.
• Prevalence of polycythemia vera was the highest in the US in 2017 at 157,290, out of which 62,916 cases were asymptomatic and 94,374 were symptomatic.
• 22 cases per 100,000 people.

• 4-year mortality rate is >10%.
• On average patients lived with the disease for 8.6 years (mean), the cases that were fatal were approximately 77.1 years of age on average.
• Comorbidities such as cardiovascular diseases, other blood, and lymphatic disorders, vascular disorders, mass occupying lesions in the thorax, respiratory system, infections, etc. accounted for more deaths more often.^[4]
• Thrombotic complications were the most common cause of death followed by hematologic malignancy.

• It has been noted that PV is more common in the age group >75.^[5]
• Median age of diagnosis is 60.^[6]

• Jews of Eastern European descent have a higher number of cases as compared to other Europeans or Asians.

• Generally, there is no sex predilection.^[7]
• In the analysis for the 7 MM countries, the percentage of prevalent males was higher than prevalent females.

• Incidence of cases is higher in the United States and Europe than in Japan.^[8][9]

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