Travellers have nearly triple the normal risk of developing a venous thromboembolism, a dangerous blood clot, researchers from Havard University reported in July 2009. The risk measurably increases every two hours spent in a car or airliner, they added.

The study was a meta-analysis of 14 separate studies involving 4,000 patients and was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Most of the risk is for development of a clot in a vein, usually in the legs, sometimes called a DVT (DVTanswers.com) or deep vein thrombosis. Although the absolute risk of venous thromboembolism is just one case in 4,600 airline trips, the risk for women who are pregnant or who take birth control pills and for the obese is especially high, they found.

Researchers do not recommend drug therapy, such as oral anticoagulation, to keep travellers healthy, however they do recommend that travellers increase their intake of fluid and that they get up and move at least every two hours.

VTEs and DVT can cause local damage or travel to the lung and kill as a pulmonary embolism. MEDRAD Interventional / Possis provides a way to physically remove clots.

Find out more about the AngioJet® mechanical thrombectomy device >>