Blood-clot risk 'higher for office staff than long-haul passengers'

Published on Tuesday 13 March 2007 01:15

OFFICE workers who spend hours each day in front of computer screens face a higher risk of suffering a blood clot than long-haul air passengers, researchers said yesterday.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) - potentially deadly blood clots in the legs - have been linked to people spending long periods of time on cramped flights.

But now researchers have found the risk is higher among people who sit at office desks all day. Of 62 patients admitted to hospital with blood clots, 34 per cent were seated at work for long periods beforehand, the study shows. This compared to only 1.5 per cent who had travelled recently on long-haul flights.

Professor Richard Beasley, lead researcher on the study by New Zealand's Medical Research Institute, said people seated for long periods of time were at risk of DVT, with IT and call centre workers being most affected.