Investigation of Two Potential Predictors of Thrombosis Risk in Polycythemia Vera: Hematocrit-to-Hemoglobin Ratio and HALP Score.

This study aimed to assess the utility of the hematocrit-to-hemoglobin ratio (HHR) and the HALP score in detecting thrombosis history in patients with polycythemia vera (PV). This retrospective study examined patients diagnosed with PV between January 2013 and December 2022. Demographics, clinical history, PV- and thrombosis-related data, laboratory findings, follow-up duration, and mortality status were retrieved from hospital records. HHR and HALP scores were calculated for all patients. Patients were grouped based on their thrombosis history. A total of 124 PV patients were included, with a mean age of 57.65 ± 12.17 years, and 86 (69.35%) were males. Thrombosis was present in 59 patients (47.58%), with 32.20% occurring before diagnosis, 23.73% at diagnosis, and 44.07% after diagnosis. Patients with and without thrombosis history were similar in age and sex. Those with a history of thrombosis had significantly higher anticoagulant use and HHR values, while other variables, including HALP score, showed no differences. An HHR cut-off value of >3.05 predicted thrombosis history with 54.24% sensitivity and 72.31% specificity. HHR could help distinguish PV patients with thrombosis history, though its sensitivity is low. HALP score was not associated with thrombosis risk.