Doctors, airlines warn of blood clot risk

In this story: Fatalities rare Passenger warning RELATED STORIES, SITES

From Tom Bogdanowicz
CNNfn Correspondent

ASHFORD, England (CNN) -- Ashford Hospital is a 10-minute drive from London's Heathrow Airport, and almost every month it deals with an air passenger who has died from a condition called deep-vein thrombosis -- blood clotting and blocked lungs resulting from prolonged sitting on long- haul flights.

A study at the hospital identified 30 deaths in three years from deep-vein thrombosis arising from air travel. And even though deaths are relatively rare, the condition is causing growing concern.

REDUCE THE RISK Snacking, moving can decrease risk of flight-related blood clots

Ashford Hospital's Dr. John Belstead said emergency nursing staff there started noticing long-haul travelers dying of massive blood clots as early as eight years ago.

"It's the red-eye flights from the west of the United States and the Far East, and also from Australia," he said. "It's mostly people who sleep in their seats."

The condition often has been dubbed "economy-class syndrome," but Belstead said a French study suggests that term is a misnomer.

"They found two people (with the condition) who traveled in business class and one person in first class, so it's not just economy class," he said.

Fatal cases of so-called traveler's thrombosis are very rare, Ashford physicians stress. For every victim, there are a million other long-haul passengers who arrive safely at Heathrow, they say.

But according to some doctors, as many as one in 10 air travelers could be affected by some form of the condition.

At Heathrow, concern is tempered by realism.

"I think the planes should offer more space, I really do, in the economy section," one traveler said. "People have to take the choice: Do they want a cheap flight or do they want to pay more money for their flight and have more leg room?"

British Airways takes the problem seriously, and has begun issuing new warning leaflets to passengers, plus is showing a video on its flights advising travelers to exercise while the airplane is aloft.

Australia's two biggest airlines also said they will print health warnings onto their tickets about the danger of blood clots.

Even though deaths from traveler's thrombosis aren't common, the message from doctors is that the risk can be minimized by in-flight exercise and other preventive measures.

Some doctors recommend travelers take aspirin, which thins the blood, before flying, or wear elastic knee-length stockings to help prevent clots.

"The passenger has to take responsibility for their own health and make sure they are fit to travel, that they've thought about the issues surrounding travel, and that they take heed of the advice," said Dr. David Flower of British Airways.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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