mrz
29-01-03, 19:59
Long hours at computer 'deadly'
January 29, 2003
THE next time your boss asks you to put in a few extra hours at your desk - remind him it could be deadly.
New Zealand researchers have found that sitting at a computer for hours on end can cause fatal blood clots, just as long flights can lead to deep vein thrombosis (DVT), known as economy-class syndrome.
They discovered the link when a 32-year-old man who sat at his computer terminal for up to 18 hours a day nearly died after he developed a blood clot in his leg which travelled to his lungs.
"This is the first reported case of an association between repeated prolonged immobility sitting at a computer and life-threatening (lung embolism)," wrote the researchers led by Richard Beasley from the Wellington-based Medical Research Institute of New Zealand.
They suggest the condition be called "e-thrombosis".
DVT is caused by blood thickening in a vein that forms a clot and causes the leg to swell.
The most serious complication is when part of the clot breaks off and travels to the heart or other vital organs, which can sometimes be fatal.
Dr Beasley told AAP it was important the community was made aware of this new risk factor for developing fatally potential blood clots.
"It's unusual for a fit person in their 30s to get such a massive blood clot so we looked hard to find any risk factors," he said.
The penny dropped when they realised the man worked for extraordinarily long hours at his computer.
"It also turned out he worked for many hours at a time without getting up," Dr Beasley said.
"It became apparent that this clearly was the reason why he got the blood clot and it's very similar to the traveller thrombosis or economy-class syndrome."
Dr Beasley warned e-thrombosis was an outcome of a modern sedentary lifestyle.
"This appears to be the first report of its nature ... (and) we need to raise awareness of its possibility," he said.
"In view of the very dominant way in which the computer has influenced our lifestyle, it really was something that we needed to look at in more detail."
Dr Beasley recommends people working with computers ensure they get up from their desk regularly and do leg exercises while they sit at their terminals.
DVT as a result of prolonged sitting was first recognised during the Blitz in World War II, when cases of fatal embolisms emerged among Londoners who sat for long periods in deckchairs in air-raid shelters.
More recently, DVT has emerged as a potential, though very remote, risk for travellers on long, intercontinental flights.
Pregnant women, people who are overweight, the elderly, smokers and people with coronary heart disease and certain blood conditions are considered to be most at risk.
The British high court last month blocked a bid by 55 victims of deep-vein thrombosis who had filed suit against 27 airlines, alleging that the carriers had breached their duty of care because of their cramped seating.
It ruled that the plaintiffs had no case under the 1929 Warsaw Convention on air travel as DVT was unexpected and could not be considered an accident in the normal operating of an aircraft.
To prevent DVT, doctors suggest flexing one's toes and ankles, drinking water and avoiding alcohol, and getting up to stretch one's legs at least once an hour. An aspirin, which helps to thin the blood, can also help.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,5907075%255E1702,00.html
January 29, 2003
THE next time your boss asks you to put in a few extra hours at your desk - remind him it could be deadly.
New Zealand researchers have found that sitting at a computer for hours on end can cause fatal blood clots, just as long flights can lead to deep vein thrombosis (DVT), known as economy-class syndrome.
They discovered the link when a 32-year-old man who sat at his computer terminal for up to 18 hours a day nearly died after he developed a blood clot in his leg which travelled to his lungs.
"This is the first reported case of an association between repeated prolonged immobility sitting at a computer and life-threatening (lung embolism)," wrote the researchers led by Richard Beasley from the Wellington-based Medical Research Institute of New Zealand.
They suggest the condition be called "e-thrombosis".
DVT is caused by blood thickening in a vein that forms a clot and causes the leg to swell.
The most serious complication is when part of the clot breaks off and travels to the heart or other vital organs, which can sometimes be fatal.
Dr Beasley told AAP it was important the community was made aware of this new risk factor for developing fatally potential blood clots.
"It's unusual for a fit person in their 30s to get such a massive blood clot so we looked hard to find any risk factors," he said.
The penny dropped when they realised the man worked for extraordinarily long hours at his computer.
"It also turned out he worked for many hours at a time without getting up," Dr Beasley said.
"It became apparent that this clearly was the reason why he got the blood clot and it's very similar to the traveller thrombosis or economy-class syndrome."
Dr Beasley warned e-thrombosis was an outcome of a modern sedentary lifestyle.
"This appears to be the first report of its nature ... (and) we need to raise awareness of its possibility," he said.
"In view of the very dominant way in which the computer has influenced our lifestyle, it really was something that we needed to look at in more detail."
Dr Beasley recommends people working with computers ensure they get up from their desk regularly and do leg exercises while they sit at their terminals.
DVT as a result of prolonged sitting was first recognised during the Blitz in World War II, when cases of fatal embolisms emerged among Londoners who sat for long periods in deckchairs in air-raid shelters.
More recently, DVT has emerged as a potential, though very remote, risk for travellers on long, intercontinental flights.
Pregnant women, people who are overweight, the elderly, smokers and people with coronary heart disease and certain blood conditions are considered to be most at risk.
The British high court last month blocked a bid by 55 victims of deep-vein thrombosis who had filed suit against 27 airlines, alleging that the carriers had breached their duty of care because of their cramped seating.
It ruled that the plaintiffs had no case under the 1929 Warsaw Convention on air travel as DVT was unexpected and could not be considered an accident in the normal operating of an aircraft.
To prevent DVT, doctors suggest flexing one's toes and ankles, drinking water and avoiding alcohol, and getting up to stretch one's legs at least once an hour. An aspirin, which helps to thin the blood, can also help.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,5907075%255E1702,00.html