DVT Risks for Office Workers

The risks of DVT on long-haul flights have been well documented and communicated but not many people would be aware that they could be a lot more at risk if they spend long periods sitting or standing on the job.

A recent study and report by Workcover South Australia and Flinders Medical Centre recommended that all employees who stand for long periods of time should be issued with this type of support legwear as part of their normal uniforms. (see full report). Types of workers who may be affected include: waiters, flight attendants, retail assistants, security gurads and process workers. Office workers who spend long hours at their desk may be more prone to potentially fatal blood clots than passengers on long-haul flights, according to new research. Studies have shown that wearing compression hosiery or socks during long flights can help reduce the risk of DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis).

Compression garments and sportswear have been popular with athletes for the last 10 years as they assist with blood circulation and muscle recovery.

Sedentary work and spending long periods sitting at a desk may double the risk of potentially dangerous blood clots in the legs or lungs, say researchers. The conclusions were drawn in a study published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine and involved 97 patients under the age of 65 attending a hospital outpatient clinic in New Zealand. All had previously been admitted to hospital with a deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism.

A DVT is a blood clot in the legs or thighs while pulmonary embolism is a highly dangerous clot in the lungs. The patients were interviewed about their lifestyle and work pattern along with a comparison group of 106 others who had not been treated in hospital for clots.

Prolonged sitting at work was associated with a two-fold increase in the risk of developing DVT or PE. People who spend large amounts of time in front of a computer should do frequent leg and foot exercises, and take regular breaks away from their desks, the researchers said.

Study leader Professor Richard Beasley, from Wellington Hospital in New Zealand, said the research mirrored investigations into the danger of blood clots on planes.

“It is similar to the situation with the risk of blood clots with long distance air travel,” he said. “It was not until there was research into its role that the real extent of the problem was appreciated.”

The development of blood clots after prolonged immobility caused by travel, work or other situations is known as the SIT (seated immobility thromboembolism) syndrome.

SIT was first recognised during the World War II blitz on London. A number of people who spent long periods of time sitting in air raid shelters escaped the German bombs but died of pulmonary embolism.

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