What were they thinking?A lot of people are interested in what they can do to reduce the risk of blood clots from flying. Considering that I'm spending a fair amount of time these days going back and forth between the US and UK, I was interested to see the recent news reports about a JAMA article (Effect of Hypobaric Hypoxia, Simulating Conditions During Long-Haul Air Travel, on coagulation, Fibrinolysis, Platelet Function, and Endothelial Activation), concluding that flying doesn't cause blood clots. The Times of London, for example, had this to say:
Conditions particular to travelling on a long-haul flight, such as low air pressure and reduced oxygen, do not increase the risk of potentially lethal blood clots, research indicates.
But wait a minute, the study simulated the effects of reduced cabin pressure by putting participants in a hypobaric chamber. That's one part of the picture --and nice for the airlines to know they can continue to get away with lower pressurization than is present at ground level--, but despite the fact that 13 authors collaborated on the study, it seems they neglected to examine the issues that are thought most likely to cause deep vein thrombosis: dehydration and sleeping while sitting.Mickey told me he was disappointed that the researchers didn't consider these more fundamental issues nor give practical advice. So what's an air traveler to do, I asked Mickey. Here's what he said:
My recommendation to people taking long flights is to stay well hydrated, avoid bending your knees far while sleeping, try to wake up enough to move your legs a bit many times during the flight, and consider taking one baby aspirin (81 mg) before starting the flight.
Will do.(Disclaimer: I'm not your doctor, and neither is Mickey. See [or email] your own for medical advice.)