Infections increase danger of deep vein thrombosis

Published on Friday 31 March 2006 02:26

SUFFERING an infection increases the risk of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a study of more than three million patient records from across the UK revealed.

Scientists know infections can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes but this is the first time their effect on DVT has been studied.

Researchers found that almost 7,300 of the three million patients suffered DVT or a pulmonary embolism (PE).

The risk rose in the first two weeks after a respiratory or urinary tract infection.

But the fact two different types of infection increased the risk suggests that DVT develops as a result of the "infection process" rather than any specific infection, the researchers said.

The study, published in the Lancet, added: "The rates of both DVT and PE were much higher after a diagnosis of urinary tract infection than before infection.

"The rates were highest in the first two weeks after exposure [around double the baseline], gradually falling over the subsequent months until returning to baseline after one year.

"Rates were also raised to a similar extent for DVT after respiratory infection."