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Heghine Khachatryan։ Age-Adjusted D-Dimer Thresholds for Safer and Smarter VTE Rule-Out
Mar 10, 2026, 12:41

Heghine Khachatryan։ Age-Adjusted D-Dimer Thresholds for Safer and Smarter VTE Rule-Out

Heghine Khachatryan, Editor-in-Chief of Hemostasis Today, Head of Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center at Yeolyan Hematology and Oncology Center, shared RPTH’s post on LinkedIn:

”A very important and practical review published in the RPTH Journal highlights a concept that deserves wider clinical attention: age-adjusted D-dimer thresholds.

D-dimer levels naturally increase with age, meaning that the traditional fixed cut-off may lead to false positives and unnecessary imaging, especially in older patients.

Using age-adjusted D-dimer values (Age × 10 µg/L for patients >50 years) helps maintain safety in ruling out VTE while reducing unnecessary CT scans, radiation exposure, and healthcare costs.

This is a clear example of how smarter interpretation of existing diagnostic tests can significantly improve clinical decision-making.”

RPTH Journal shared a post on LinkedIn about a recent article by Tayssir Fatah et al, published in RPTH Journal:

”Is the D-dimer cut-off we use every day actually outdated?

We order D-dimer constantly to rule out VTE. But here’s the problem: D-dimer naturally rises with age.

That means the standard cut-off becomes less specific every year a patient gets older, leading to more false positives and more unnecessary CT scans.

This RPTH review revisits one of the most practical changes in thrombosis diagnostics:
Age-adjusted D-dimer thresholds.

The concept is simple:
For patients >50 years, use Age × 10 μg/L instead of a fixed cut-off.

Why this matters

  • It maintains safety for ruling out VTE.
  • It reduces unnecessary imaging.
  • It cuts radiation exposure and healthcare costs.
  • It improves emergency department workflow and patient experience.

Yet despite strong evidence, adoption is still inconsistent worldwide.

So the real question becomes:

  • Why hasn’t this become universal practice yet?
  • Do your local protocols use age-adjusted D-dimer?
  • What barriers still exist in implementation?

Sometimes the most impactful innovation isn’t a new drug, it’s using existing tests smarter.”

Title: Raising the D-dimer bar: a narrative review of the age-adjusted D-dimer threshold

Authors: Tayssir Fatah, Judith Catella, Christophe Nougier, Hamdi Rezigue

Read Full Article on RPTH Journal

Heghine Khachatryan։ Age-Adjusted D-Dimer Thresholds for Safer and Smarter VTE Rule-Out

Othe posts featuring Heghine Khachatryan on Hemostasis Today.