Pollution Increases Risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis

Scott Kappes

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It is no secret that pollution makes a detrimental impact on health, but a new study has now linked pollution to an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Deep vein thrombosis occurs when the blood becomes thick and begins to form a clot, usually in the veins of the lower leg and thigh. These clots can then travel through the blood stream to different organs and prevent blood behind the clot from reaching the organ. When this occurs in the lungs for instance, it is known as a pulmonary embolism and can also result in a heart attack or stroke.

The study examined 870 people diagnosed with DVT over the decade spanning 1995 to 2005; looking at their particulate air pollution exposure the year before they were diagnosed. These findings were compares with just over 1200 people who had not been diagnosed with DVT. The results were shocking.

The researchers found that individuals with DVT tended to have a higher exposure to particulate air pollution than controls. To be more specific, they found that for every 10 micrograms per square meter increase, the risk of developing DVT went up by 70 percent. Men were more likely than women to suffer from exposure to polluted air.

Experts estimate today that particulate matter is the 13^th ranked cause of death world wide, totaling about 800,000 thousand deaths per year. We must do something to combat this number, and we must do it soon.