redout
20th Apr 2006, 21:08
Taken from Sky News
Wearing elasticated flight socks significantly reduces the risk of DVT, a study has found.
Airline passengers who wear special compression stockings have one tenth of the risk of developing deep vein thrombosis on long-haul flights compared to those who do not, scientists have found.
DVT occurs when blood flow is restricted and clots form, usually in the legs.
It can prove fatal if a clot breaks off and reaches the lungs.
The condition hit the headlines after several healthy men and women died after long-haul flights.
The socks, which are made especially for flyers, apply pressure on the lower leg to encourage blood flow.
Experts analysed nine studies which covered 2,800 passengers on flights of seven hours or more.
Of the 50 who developed symptom-less DVT, 47 were not wearing the stockings.
The researchers concluded that the overall risk of getting DVT for those who wore the stockings was one tenth of that of passengers who did not.
The findings were published in the Cochrane Library journal.
Lead research, Professor Mike Clarke of the UK Cochrane Centre in Oxford, told the Daily Mail: "This review shows that airline passengers travelling for long distances can expect a substantial reduction of the incidence of DVT if they wear compression stockings."
Studies suggest the chance of getting DVT is about one in every 6,000 long-haul journeys for a healthy person.
Wearing elasticated flight socks significantly reduces the risk of DVT, a study has found.
Airline passengers who wear special compression stockings have one tenth of the risk of developing deep vein thrombosis on long-haul flights compared to those who do not, scientists have found.
DVT occurs when blood flow is restricted and clots form, usually in the legs.
It can prove fatal if a clot breaks off and reaches the lungs.
The condition hit the headlines after several healthy men and women died after long-haul flights.
The socks, which are made especially for flyers, apply pressure on the lower leg to encourage blood flow.
Experts analysed nine studies which covered 2,800 passengers on flights of seven hours or more.
Of the 50 who developed symptom-less DVT, 47 were not wearing the stockings.
The researchers concluded that the overall risk of getting DVT for those who wore the stockings was one tenth of that of passengers who did not.
The findings were published in the Cochrane Library journal.
Lead research, Professor Mike Clarke of the UK Cochrane Centre in Oxford, told the Daily Mail: "This review shows that airline passengers travelling for long distances can expect a substantial reduction of the incidence of DVT if they wear compression stockings."
Studies suggest the chance of getting DVT is about one in every 6,000 long-haul journeys for a healthy person.