Do you spend large amounts of time glued to your computer screen at the office? Does your daily exercise consist of an occasional bathroom break and a brief walk for a coffee refill? A new study out of New Zealand indicates that a "yes" to these questions may mean you have a higher risk of forming deadly blood clots than most long-distance air travelers.
It's called deep vein thrombosis, or DVT. It's also known colloquially as "economy class syndrome," because it was first associated with long distance flights in which passengers, particularly those seated in economy class, had little opportunity for movement. The absence of legroom in economy class, as well as the more crowded conditions, means passengers are forced to sit for lengthy periods. DVT is a condition, then, in which a blood clot forms in one of the veins of the leg or pelvis. The clot can break off and block a blood vessel in one of the lungs, resulting in death.
Professor Richard Beasley, who headed the study, discovered that a large number of patientsadmitted to hospitals with blood clots had been seated at work for hours and hours. For some, they had sat for periods longer than all but the longest long-distance flights. It wasn't uncommon for people to report twelve to fourteen hours of work at a stretch. But even employees who sit for three to four hours are at risk.
1.4% of people who report blood clots have recently traveled on a plane. Compare this to 34% who have just come in from the office. The figures are alarming, and demonstrate the sedentarynature of the modern work environment.
The study covered sixty-two patients aged 65 and younger.
Aulas particulares
Buscar
Atividades acadêmicas
Pedir
Tira-dúvidas com IA
Enviar dúvida
