New York, Sep 26 (IANS) Researchers have warned that younger people, particularly those under 30, may face greater risk of developing life threatening blood clots on a long-haul flight than those who do not fly.
Blood clots are jelly like mass of blood tissues that result from coagulation of blood. Clots stop the flow of blood from an injury. Clots can also form inside an artery and can cause a heart attack or stroke.
Previous research by scientists led by Frits Rosendaal had shown air travel was a specific trigger for blood clots.
The latest study by the same researchers in the Netherlands looked at nearly 9,000 employees of multinational firms and the World Bank and evaluated the hours they flew and whether they developed blood clots.
The study found that long haul passengers were three times more at risk than those who do not fly of deep vein thrombosis or DVT that occurs when the flow of blood is restricted in a vein, and a clot forms, reported the online edition of Daily Mail.
The risk rises for travellers taking more flights within a short time and with longer flights.
However, the study could not entirely explain why the risk was higher among the under-30s.
Air passengers who are short, tall or overweight, as well as women on the pill, are also in greater danger of deep vein thrombosis, the study shows.
Rosendaal said, “If you’re in the air for eight hours, it is more likely to affect your body’s clotting system, than sitting on the ground for eight hours.”
Tall and overweight passengers were at extra risk because of the cramped seat conditions on most airlines, Rosendaal said in the study, published Tuesday n the journal PLoS Medicine.
Short travellers also suffer because their feet don’t touch the floor and experience extra blood pressure behind the knees, he said. Similarly, pill increases blood-clotting tendencies.
He said not all long-haul travellers should be taking preventive measures, such as blood thinning aspirin or wearing compression stockings, but those at higher risk should.
“Airlines have a responsibility to provide adjustable seating and more room, and they should give clear advice about DVT risk,” he added.
Those with a personal or family history of blood clots, patients who have had recent surgery, cancer or a stroke and women taking the pill or hormone replacement therapy must consult a doctor before flying long-haul, the experts said.