Cabin pressure ‘not linked to DVT’

British researchers have said there is “no evidence” that low cabin pressure on long-haul flights is linked to deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Scientists from the Universities of Aberdeen and Leicester found that low levels of oxygen and cabin pressure on aircraft did not discernibly raise susceptibility to DVT during simulated eight-hour flights.

By placing volunteers in a hypobaria chamber and exposing them to hypobaric hypnoxia, a condition simulating the effects of low cabin pressure, the scientists were able to confirm that there was no noticeable change in levels of clot formation or other factors associated with DVT.

“Our study provides, for the first time, a carefully controlled assessment of the effects on blood clotting of the low air pressure and low oxygen level that might be found during a long-haul flight,” said Dr William Toff of the University of Leicester, who led the study.

“We found no evidence that these conditions cause activation of the blood clotting mechanism.”

Despite low levels of cabin pressure and oxygen, DVT for healthy middle-aged travellers occurs only once for every 40,000 flights and causes death once in every two million.

The risk can increase for certain people, however, with carriers of mutated factor V genes and those taking oral contraceptives being recognised as factors increasing susceptibility.

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