A recently published New Zealand study has warned that office workers are at risk of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) from sitting immobile at their desks. The study, which will be presented at the annual conference of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand, was carried in the Medical Research Institute in Wellington. The study states that sitting immobile at a desk for hours at a time will be revealed as a serious risk factor for so-called "economy class syndrome".

DVT is the formation of a blood clot in a deep vein, most commonly in the legs, which may cause death if untreated. Symptoms include pain, swelling, redness and dilated surface veins seen on the skin. The clots can break off and travel to the heart, lungs or brain, causing chest pain, breathlessness or even death from a heart attack or stroke. Treatment with blood-thinning drugs can take months.

Many risk factors for clots, including smoking, pregnancy and old age, have been known. But after the death, seven years ago of a 28-year-old woman thought to have developed a blood clot during a flight from Australia to Britain, "economy class syndrome" became the fear of long-distance air travellers. Although the controversy about long-haul air travel has recently put DVT in the headlines, the condition was first described in people sitting on deckchairs in air raid shelters during the Blitz in London.

The New Zealand study has found that prolonged immobility at work is the most common factor shared by DVT patients. Researchers found one in three people attending an outpatient clinic reported sitting for eight hours or longer before suffering a venous thromboembolism. The worst affected were managers, IT workers and taxi drivers, according to the research.

In 2003, Professor Beasley's research group reported the first known case of life-threatening clots associated with prolonged computer use. The European Respiratory Journal reported the case of a young man who nearly died after developing deep vei n thrombosis following long periods of physical inactivity in front of his computer. The man, the first recorded victim of a condition which has been dubbed e-thrombosis, spent up to 18 hours a day using his computer. He would stay at his screen for up to two hours at a time and sometimes up to six hours. Professor Beasley stated that some office workers who developed clots were seated for 14 hours a day.

Preventative Measures

In this modern age of travel and jobs that require less physical labour, we are fast becoming a sedentary race, and unfortunately this is causing various health issues like deep vein thrombosis. Fortunately, this is an easily preventable condition that doesn't take much work.

Sedentary workers are at risk because the sitting position impedes blood flow. The less you move, the slower your blood circulates, thereby increasing the chances for clots to form. However workers would generally feel warning signs such as stiff or fidgety legs that should encourage them to get up and move around.

Deskbound computer users should take frequent "micro-pauses" from their work to stand up and stretch arms and legs. It is always recommended for people who are confined to desks and chairs to take advantage of quick breaks to get the blood flowing again.