367 - One-year Dyspnea and Quality of Life After Mechanical Thrombectomy for Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism in Female versus Male Patients: STRIKE-PE Interim Analysis

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

11:42 AM - 11:51 AM ET

Presenting Author(s)

John Moriarty, MD, FSIR (he/him/his)

Professor
UCLA, United States

Author/Co-author(s)

SD

Suhail Y. Dohad, MD, MBBS

Cardiology Specialist
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, United States
Brian J. Schiro, MD

Vascular and Interventional Radiologist
Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute / Radiology Associates of South Florida, United States
Ido Weinberg, MD

Associate Professor of Medicine
Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School, United States
HD

Hugh C. Davis, MD

Associate Professor, Vascular and Interventional Radiology
Department of Radiology, University of Florida, United States
MK

Marcin Kurzyna, MD

Professor
Frederic Chopin Hospital in European Health Centre Otwock, Poland
HT

Houman Tamaddon, MD

Vascular Surgeon and Endovascular Specialist
University Hospital, United States
AA

Aleksander Araszkiewicz, MD, PhD

Professor of Medicine
Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland
AH

Andrew Holden, MD

Interventional Radiologist
Aukland District Health Board / Auckland Hospital, New Zealand
FW

Frances Mae West, MD, MS, FACP

Assistant Professor, Associate Program Director, Pulmonary & Critical Care Fellowship
Thomas Jefferson University, United States
WK

W. Brent Keeling, MD

Associate Professor
Emory University Hospital, United States
AS

Andrew S. P. Sharp, MD, MBBS

Professor of Cardiology
University College Dublin, Ireland

Purpose: We report 1-year dyspnea and QoL outcomes comparing male and female patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy using computer assisted vacuum thrombectomy (CAVT; Penumbra, Inc., Alameda, CA).

Materials and Methods: STRIKE-PE is a single-arm, prospective, international study enrolling 1500 patients with acute PE symptoms of ≤14 days and right-to-left ventricular (RV/LV) diameter ratio of ≥ 0.9. Borg dyspnea scale at rest and after 6MWT and two QoL measures were assessed through 1-year.

Among 595 patients, 315 (53%) were male with an age of 61.4 ± 13.9 years and 280 (47%) were female with an age of 62.3 ± 16.1 years. 252 completed 1y follow-up.

Data reported as mean ± SD or median [Q1-Q3].

Results: Both sexes presented with similar risk stratification and had a similar time from symptom to venous puncture. Thrombectomy time was also similar: 31 [21-44] min for Males and 30 [21-40] min for Females.

Primary efficacy, RV/LV ratio reduction at 48h, was similar across sexes (both P< .001). Primary safety, composite major adverse events (MAE) rate, were lower in Males than Females, due to major bleeding rates (0.3% vs 3.6%, respectively; P=.003).

Borg scale at rest and post-6MWT were comparable and improved for both sexes from baseline to 90d and 1y (both P< .001).

Females had lower EQ-5D-5L scores from baseline to 1y and higher PEmb-QoL score (worse) from baseline to 90d (Table 1). QoL scores improved at the same rate for both sexes from baseline to 90d and 1y (all P< .001; Table 1).

Conclusion: In STRIKE-PE, CAVT rapidly improved RV dysfunction regardless of sex. CAVT was associated with improved dyspnea severity, also similar in both sexes. QoL improvement was significant and comparable between sexes despite baseline and postprocedural scores remaining different. MAEs were low in both groups with a higher major bleeding rate in Females. This offers insight into sex-specific recovery in PE care.