Air passengers on long flights should exercise their legs and resist taking sleeping pills to reduce the risk of potentially fatal blood clots, meidia reported Friday.
Although the danger of developing deep vein thrombosis -- normally in the form of a blood clot in the calves -- is small, it increases if people are immobile for long periods in cramped conditions, the World Health Organization said in a report. Some people are also predisposed to the condition for genetic or lifestyle reasons.
WHO said studies showed the risk of developing blood clots during any form of travel longer than four hours was 1 in 6,000 among the general population.
Emma Christofferson, 28, died from a pulmonary embolism, which occurs when a blood clot in the extremities breaks away and travels to the lungs. The condition can be treated if detected in time.
"The risk to an individual stepping on a plane is tiny," said Patrick Kesteven, a British doctor involved in the research, "The problem is, vast numbers of people step on planes, and so it's a tiny risk multiplied by a huge denominator, so that in terms of a public health issue it's a highly significant problem."
The Geneva-based International Air Transport Association spokesman Anthony Council said many airlines inform passengers of the risk of blood clots. "The advice that we give to passengers is that if you're in one of those at-risk groups you should speak to your physician before traveling."
(Xinhua News Agency June 30, 2007)