RISK FACTORS - DVT

Risk Factors

Most DVT victims are over 60 years of age; however, DVT can strike almost anyone at risk. Genetics plays a part, but so does environment. Factors and conditions that may increase the risk of DVT include:

1) Immobility
Immobility slows down the circulation of blood, and increases the risk if DVT. Those at risk includes patients with reduced mobility who are confined to bed due to illness or hospitalization.

2) Injuries
Blood vessels may be injured in a variety of ways including: a blow to the leg, athletic injuries, surgery, or radiation therapy for cancer. Traumatic injuries may set the stage for DVT because they initiate the blood clotting process and narrow the vein. This slows the passage of blood and encourages pooling.

3) Inherited Clotting Disorders
If blood clots run in your family, you may have an inherited clotting disorder. Among people of European descent, the most common genetic mutations that encourage clotting are the factor 5(V) Leiden and the prothrombin gene mutation. Individuals who inherit one of these mutations from either parent may experience recurrent episodes of DVT, but the risk is highest if both parents were affected.

4) Infections, Inflammatory Diseases
Infections and inflammatory diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and glomerulonephritis may stimulate the blood clotting process and promote DVT.

5) Pregnancy
Pregnant women are 5 times more likely to develop DVT than non-pregnant women. Cases occur most often in the third trimester and immediately following delivery.

6) Oral Contraceptives
Hormonal preparations such as oral contraceptives or replacement estrogens may also increase the risk of clotting, particularly when combined with other risk factors like smoking, hypertension, or obesity (a Body Mass Index of 30 or higher).

7) Cancer
Some cancers release substances that increase the blood's tendency to clot (i.e. prothrombotic). Cancers of the ovaries, pancreas, lymphatic system, liver, stomach, and colon are particularly likely to provoke DVT.

8) Smoking
Tobacco smoke reduces the amount of oxygen carried in the blood and may damage vessel walls, potentially leading to clot formation. It is one of the most modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

9) Obesity
Once thought to be dangerous only in association with high cholesterol levels, obesity is now recognized on its own as a significant risk factor. Obesity is defined by the National Institutes of Health as having a Body Mass Index greater than 30 (approximately 30 pounds or more overweight). Central obesity, also known as the "apple shape," has been associated with cardiovascular disease - which may increase the risk of DVT.

10) Air Travel with Prolonged Sitting
Prolonged sitting during air travel slows down circulation and increases the blood's propensity to clot. In addition, tightly packed seating and long periods of immobility can contribute to an increased risk of DVT.
Even in young, healthy travelers, long stretches of time spent in cramped seats of an aircraft with very low humidity may set the stage for the formation of a blood clot in the lower leg.

prepared by:
Sri Murniati Rosli