Study shows long distance travel can cause blood clots

www.hsph.havard.edu

A recent study published has added strength that long distance travel can lead to blood clots causing fatal consequences for some travellers. The potential is often accelerated by the distance covered.

Researchers looked at 14 other studies and discovered that travellers are three times more likely to get blood clots in their veins, often from being in cramped condition for some time. The clots named venous thromboembolism (VTE) then occasionally work their way up to the lungs where they can cause a fatal condition called pulmonary embolism.

However not all of the 14 studies could create a link between VTE and travel. Some of the controlled condition patients that were thought to have VTE turned out not to have, but maybe had a higher than normal chance of getting blood clots.

Other studies were conducted with healthy people who were three times more likely to get VTE than non-travellers. Travellers were found to be 18 per cent more likely to develop symptoms and for air passengers it was increased to by 26 per cent for every two hours of being in the skies.

While the study showed that there is an increase for travellers it is also worth noting that people that have had major surgery, is a cancer patient or women on birth control pills have a greater chance of getting VTE.

Thanks to www.reuters.com for the above article, for more information please visit their website.

www.hsph.havard.edu