Heart defect could add to 'economy class' clot danger By Arianne Aryanpur, USA TODAY Take steps to reduce risk If you travel long distances by air, you should= =20 take common-sense measures to reduce the likelihood of blood clots," says=20 Stephen Borron, associate clinical professor of emergency medicine at=20 George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Nearly a third of adults=20 may have an undiagnosed heart defect that increases their chance of a=20 stroke if they fall victim to "economy class syndrome." Researchers say the= =20 small opening between the heart's chambers, called a patent foramen ovale=20 (PFO), provides a passageway for blood clots from the right side of the=20 heart to the arteries that lead to the brain. They estimate that 30% of the= =20 population has this asymptomatic opening, which in most people closes after= =20 birth. The American Academy of Neurology study adds another degree of danger to=20 deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a condition in which blood clots form in the=20 legs after long periods of inactivity. DVT has been nicknamed economy class= =20 syndrome because airline passengers have suffered clots after long flights.= =20 Though most clots dissolve in the bloodstream, those that don't can lodge=20 in the legs, causing swelling, pain and redness. In rare and sometimes=20 fatal cases, a clot travels to the lungs, lodges in an artery and mimics a= =20 heart attack with symptoms like shortness of breath and chest pain. "Blood= =20 clots coming from the legs that make their way to the brain are the rarest= =20 case, and can only occur if a person has a PFO," said Stephen Borron,=20 associate clinical professor of emergency medicine at George Washington=20 University in Washington, D.C., and the study's author. Passengers who=20 frequently travel long distances or know they're at higher risk for blood=20 clots can receive a PFO test as part of routine cardiovascular tests. For eight years, researchers studied passengers who arrived at Charles de=20 Gaulle Airport in Paris after long flights. A very small percentage had a=20 stroke caused by a blood clot but even so, each person in that small group= =20 had a PFO. Experts estimate there are several hundred cases of DVT each=20 year, but because most passengers don't seek treatment until days after=20 flying, they're often misdiagnosed, which leaves the actual number unclear.= =20 Most passengers don't even know DVT exists =97 75% of Americans, in fact,=20 according to a study this year by the American Public Health Association=20 and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That was true for Shawn=20 Blansett, who two years ago took a long nap on a flight from Houston to=20 London. Neither he nor his wife, Modesta, was aware of DVT or that Shawn,=20 36 at the time, had a PFO. Four hours into the flight, Blansett woke up to see the cabin spinning, the= =20 result, doctors say, of a blood clot that had traveled from his leg to his= =20 brain. He was rushed to a hospital in London, where doctors were forced to= =20 remove a portion of his cerebellum, the part of the brain responsible for=20 coordination. The father of two was left permanently disabled. He and his=20 wife have filed a lawsuit against Continental Airlines claiming that they,= =20 and other passengers, weren't warned about the risks of DVT. "What the=20 general population needs to know is that ... they need to try and prevent=20 these blood clots regardless of age or cardiovascular condition," said=20 neurologist Edgar Kenton, chief of cerebral vascular diseases at Thomas=20 Jefferson University in Wynnewood, Pa. Blood clots can form after prolonged= =20 periods of immobility anywhere, not just on planes. Complications of DVT=20 claimed the life of NBC's David Bloom in April. He had been sitting in an=20 armored vehicle for hours at a time covering the war in Iraq. Experts recommend the following preventive measures to reduce the risk of=20 deep vein thrombosis: Stay well hydrated; avoid caffeine and alcoholic beverages. Starting three days before the flight, take one aspirin a day. Move around periodically; take a walk in the aisle. While seated, flex your ankles, pump and massage your legs. Wear compression stockings that prevent blood from pooling in your legs. *************************************************** The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site/TnTisland.com Roj (Roger James) escape email mailto:ejames@xxxxxxxxx Trinbago site: www.tntisland.com Carib Brass Ctn site www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ Steel Expressions www.mts.net/~ejames/se/ Mas Site: www.tntisland.com/tntrecords/mas2003/ Site of the Week: http://www.carib-link.net/naparima/naps.html TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************