During this season of travel and holidays it is important to be reminded of the procedures to avoid a possible condition called deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
There is an assumption that it only occurs on long-haul flights. However, if you are a frequent traveller and need reminding about the precautions to take, here they are.
A recent study showed that 17 per cent of flight-related DVT arose during short flights.
According to early Italian evidence published in The Independent, during a relatively short flight to Rome, 4.3 per cent of the 568 passengers developed clots, detected by ultrasound, two of whom went on to suffer a pulmonary embolism. The blood clots developed in the first two to three hours and grow larger and more dangerous over time.
Just to clarify what DVT is, it refers to a blood clot in one of the deep veins of the legs (a vein near an artery), usually caused by inactivity. If the clot breaks off from the wall of the vein and travels through the blood stream, it can be life threatening. It could end up in the brain, lungs, heart or other organs.
Another study – the New Zealand Air Traveller’s Thrombosis study – looked at 878 air travellers who were frequent flyers for more than 10 hours at a time.
The researchers discovered four passengers with pulmonary embolisms and five with DVT, despite the use of aspirin or compression stockings. However, eight of the nine had a risk factor for clotting.
Evidence from Norway suggests that the risk of the clotting activity of blood while in an airplane temporarily increases by up to 30 per cent. This applies to everyone, according to the study, including healthy people.
It seems aspirin is the usual preventative for traveller’s thrombosis.
However, a study found that 17,000 people would have to be treated to prevent a single case of DVT.
Keeping the feet moving with exercises is one of the alternatives to help during a flight. This would include a variety of exercises such as flexing the foot and calf muscles, while seated, for two minutes every half an hour. Another preventative is keeping hydrated.
The advice and studies regarding drinking can be confusing.
For example, a Japanese study found that those who drank one cup of water each hour during a nine-hour flight increased their blood thickness.
Those who drank an electrolyte fluid drink (such as a sports drink) showed no increase in blood viscosity.
At the same time, travellers are advised to avoid alcohol due to the dehydration factor.
However, another study found the resveratrol in red wine can reduce blood platelet stickiness. In fact, resveratrol pills are available for those who don’t drink.
There are a number ofproducts specifically to reduce blood thickness, or anti-clottingnutriceuticals.
Apparently, the best is said to be Pycnogenol, a grapeseed extract which can strengthen capillaries and enhance blood flow. This product is created by a French company and was originally derived from the bark of a French maritime pine tree.
It is a standardised mixture of catechins and oligomeric proanthocyanidin complexes – both of which have been touted as mild blood thinners.
An enzyme found in the Japanese fermented soybean foodstuff natto has been shown to directly break down clots. However, these studies, carried out in animals, may not apply to humans.
Another product called Flite Tabs was recently put to the test among 200 high risk volunteers who were given either the active treatment or a placebo before a long-haul flight.
In addition, ultrasound scans were carried out on all the volunteers, before and after the flight. They showed that those taking the supplement suffered no DVTs, and had a statistically significant decrease in DVT.
Alternatively, the control group found five people developing DVT, with two suffering superficial thromboses.
Other products known for thinning the blood are garlic, ginkgo biloba, flaxseed and even tomato.
Other options when flying are the use of compression stockings. They are specially designed knee-high hose, made of elasticised thread which applies pressure to specific parts of the leg.
They are designed to fit snugly around the ankle with the pressure gradually lessening up the calf. This forces the blood from the secondary venous system into the deeper veins. A trial of these stockings on long haul flights found that they entirely eliminated the risk of DVT.
Other anticoagulants are vitamin E and vitamin B6, both of which reduce the blood’s tendency to clot.
Finally, foods which contain catechins and proanthocyanidins, which are natural products and contain the same active ingredients as Pycnogenol, include cocoa, chocolate, green and black tea, red and white wine, pulses such as lentils, red kidney beans, pears , apples, cranberries, blueberries, bilberries and grapes.
If you area frequent flyer, take your pick of the wide range of research and decide which is the best for you to follow.
kathryn@maltanet.net