People wearing compression stockings on long-haul flights may have one tenth the risk of developing a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) compared to those who do not wear compression stockings. So concludes a systematic review of medical research to be published in The Cochrane Library.
"This review shows that airline passengers travelling for long distances can expect a substantial reduction in the incidence of symptomless DVT if they wear compression stockings," says lead Review Author Prof Mike Clarke, Director of the UK Cochrane Centre, Oxford.
DVTs are blood clots that partially or totally block veins running deep inside the body, usually in the legs. They have been of concern for years in patients lying in hospital beds, and more recently in passengers on aircraft. These people share a number of common features: both sets tend to become dehydrated and breathe air that has a low humidity, and both groups do not move about very much.
To counteract this lack of movement, patients in hospitals are often encouraged to wear stockings that apply pressure to the lower leg. The gentle pressure helps maintain blood flow and reduces the number of blockages. As people have become more aware of the risks of developing a DVT while flying, researchers have started to assess the potential benefit of compression stockings in airline passengers.