According to latest reseach low air pressure and low oxygen in airplanes do not appear to contribute to the formation of blood clots, which can lead to sudden death.
According to latest reseach, low air pressure and low oxygen in airplanes do not appear to contribute to the formation of blood clots, which can lead to sudden death.
These study findings contradict the results of previous studies. Previously, a team of Norwegian scientists reported that during a similar type of investigation, low air pressure and the resulting low levels of oxygen that accompany such conditions were shown to increase blood coagulation among the study participants. Long flights are thought to increase the risk of developing blood clots in the legs, or deep vein thrombosis . These clots can break free and travel to the lungs, leading to a potentially life-threatening condition called pulmonary embolism. These conditions are also called the "economy class syndrome," although any type of immobility - such as bedrest after an operation - can increase the risk of clot formation.
In the current study, researchers at the University of Oxford analysed blood samples of eight healthy volunteers who spent 8 hours in a pressurised room that mimicked the low-pressure conditions experienced by a person travelling on an airplane. Participants spent another eight hours in a room with normal air pressure. They measured blood-clotting factors before and after each experiment. They failed to find a connection between low oxygen levels and increased risk of blood clots.
Analysis of blood sampled before and after induced hypoxia (low oxygen) showed that exposure to hypoxia did not affect the clotting system. It was found that the hypoxia associated with airplane flight does not have any major influence on the ease with which the blood clots. However the new findings do not rule out the low oxygen-blood clot connection completely. There may be other effects, which would only be detected in a larger study, or there may be a smaller subset of the population in whom clotting may be affected by hypoxia.
These study findings contradict the results of previous studies. Previously, a team of Norwegian scientists reported that during a similar type of investigation, low air pressure and the resulting low levels of oxygen that accompany such conditions were shown to increase blood coagulation among the study participants. Long flights are thought to increase the risk of developing blood clots in the legs, or deep vein thrombosis . These clots can break free and travel to the lungs, leading to a potentially life-threatening condition called pulmonary embolism. These conditions are also called the "economy class syndrome," although any type of immobility - such as bedrest after an operation - can increase the risk of clot formation.
In the current study, researchers at the University of Oxford analysed blood samples of eight healthy volunteers who spent 8 hours in a pressurised room that mimicked the low-pressure conditions experienced by a person travelling on an airplane. Participants spent another eight hours in a room with normal air pressure. They measured blood-clotting factors before and after each experiment. They failed to find a connection between low oxygen levels and increased risk of blood clots.
Analysis of blood sampled before and after induced hypoxia (low oxygen) showed that exposure to hypoxia did not affect the clotting system. It was found that the hypoxia associated with airplane flight does not have any major influence on the ease with which the blood clots. However the new findings do not rule out the low oxygen-blood clot connection completely. There may be other effects, which would only be detected in a larger study, or there may be a smaller subset of the population in whom clotting may be affected by hypoxia.
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