Nearly two-thirds of pilots under age 40 were unaware of the symptoms of flight-related blood clots in the legs and lungs, and their lack of knowledge may leave them more vulnerable to the ailments, according to a survey of 427 pilots working for five airlines in Turkey.
A report on the study, published in the April issue of Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance, said that pilots between the ages of 20 and 40 were “much less aware” than older pilots of venous thromboembolism (VTE) ─ a term that includes both deep vein thrombosis (DVT, a blood clot in the legs) and pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in the lungs).1
A thromboembolism is the obstruction of a blood vessel by a blood clot (thrombus) that originated in another blood vessel and was carried through the circulatory system to another location.
The study noted a number of risk factors, including obesity, age (older than 40), cancer, recent surgery, pregnancy, a history of VTE and documented thromboph…
