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Vacation Blues
By Bonnie Jenkins, Advanced Natural Medicine Bulletin
You’ve packed your sunscreen, and maybe a first aid kit, in an effort to stay healthy while you’re on vacation. But, if your travel plans include boarding an airplane, there may be another threat to your health.
If you suffer from deep vein thrombosis (DVT), flying can be a risky proposition. Sometimes called "economy class syndrome," DVT is believed to kill more than 100 air passengers a year. The cause: when sitting for long periods of time, blood becomes static and clots can form in the legs. If they break loose and travel to the heart or lungs – sometimes days or weeks later – the result can be fatal.
While DVT can develop any time you are sitting for long periods of time – on a train, in a car or even at your desk – there’s a greater risk with air travel because of the mix of inactivity and dehydration – a combination that makes the blood stickier and more apt to clot.
The problem is, DVT can occur without any symptoms, so many of us don’t even realize that we’re at risk.
On a wing and a prayer
Researchers have known for years that long flights can put travelers at risk for DVT. In one French study, scientists found flights longer than five hours increased the risk of DVT fourfold. And new research of flight-related DVT, published in the vascular science journal Angiology, detected blood clots in the legs of seven out of 92 long-haul air passengers – none of whom had a clue that there was anything wrong.
But even short flights can be problematic. A recent study of flights between London and Italy found that clots can develop in the first two to three hours of a flight. And separate research by the Aviation Health Institute found that, out of the 85 DVT related deaths in the past three years, one in five occurred after a short flight.
Although anyone can develop a DVT, some people are more at risk than others – smokers, those over age 40; those who have had previous blood clots or with a family history of blood clots; cancer patients, people suffering from heart failure and circulation problems; those who have had recent surgery; and women who are pregnant or are taking hormones.
What makes DVT so deadly is that it can lead to . This life-threatening condition occurs when the clot, or a fragment of it, breaks off and travels through the bloodstream to the lungs. Here it can easily get trapped in the small that carry blood through the lungs for oxygenation. Should the clot be large enough to cut off blood flow to a large segment of the lung, the patient is at serious risk of sudden death.
Trip tactics
The traditional advice from doctors is to pop half an aspirin before flights to help protect against DVT. Yes, it could help – but it come with the potential risk of stomach irritation and bleeding. However, a team at the University of Arizona Medical School have discovered a safer, more effective way to avert DVT. During their research, they found that a small dose of pyconogenol had the same effect as a dose of aspirin five times higher - and without side effects.
Pycnogenol is the trade name for a pine bark extract produced from the French maritime pine tree. It’s a flavanoid with powerful antioxidant properties. In fact, clinical tests have shown that Pycnogenol is 50 times more potent than vitamin E and 20 times more effective than vitamin C. What’s more, it’s a potent anti-inflammatory that can also thin the blood, making it particularly useful for preventing DVT.
A number of earlier studies have found that Pycnogenol prevents platelet aggregation (which can lead to blood clot formation) and helps maintain normal circulation. Based on this evidence, the U of A team examined Pycnogenol’s effect on the blood flow of smokers – a group at high risk for DVT – and found that a single dose of 125 mg. prevented blood platelet aggregation more effectively than aspirin. One reason for this may be the nutrient’s ability to neutralize free radicals.
And it appears that Pycnogenol’s protective action sticks with you. Another study of 38 heavy smokers in Germany found that taking just one dose of 200 mg. of Pycnogenol protected against platelet aggregation for six days. Pretty impressive, I’d say.
Taking 100 mg. of Pycnogenol just before boarding is probably sufficient to protect most people from DVT. But if you are at high risk, you may want to begin taking this flavanoid up to a week before flying to “prime” your arteries.
One last thing . . .
One of the most important things to be aware of with DVT is that it can strike healthy people who have no previous cardiovascular problems. In fact, people who work out regularly are at somewhat greater risk of DVT complications because they tend to have a low resting pulse, which may help prompt blood pooling during long periods of inactivity.
Along with taking Pycnogenol at the start of your flight, there are several other things you can do to minimize your risk. Eating a light meal and drinking nonalcoholic beverages during the flight may decrease the risk of DVT, say Japanese researchers, who found that consuming snacks and fluids increased oxygen levels in the body and brain. And since increased circulation can lessen the chances of blood pooling in the legs, it’s a good idea to wear loose clothing and keep your legs uncrossed.
A growing number of airlines are beginning to show videos warning about DVT at the beginning of long flights. The crew may also encourage passengers to get up and walk around now and then. And there are simple stretching and flexing exercises that can be done in your seat.
Since DVT can have delayed consequences, there are signs you should look for once you’ve landed. After your flight, be on the alert for muscle pain, swelling or tenderness in the legs – all common symptoms of DVT. If you cough up blood, experience chest pain or shortness of breath during the month after you’ve flown, it may be a signal that you have a pulmonary embolism and should seek emergency medical care immediately.
This just in . . .
The secret of green tea's anti-cancer properties has finally been uncovered.
Numerous studies suggest that green tea helps protect against a range of cancers, including lung, prostate and breast cancer – largely because of an antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Now researchers at Kyushu University in Japan have shown that EGCG inhibits tumour cell growth by binding to a receptor on cells called 67 LR. A variety of tumours produce abnormally high levels of 67 LR, and the receptor is thought to be involved in the spread of cancers throughout the body.
But it seems that solid tumors are only one target of ECGC. Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered that the compound also helps kill leukemia cells by interrupting the communication signals they need to survive. While earlier studies of green tea’s cancer fighting ability have been based on drinking 10 or more cups a day, you may not need that much for prevention. According to the Kyushu team, the growth of human cancer cells is significantly slowed after drinking just two or three cups of green tea. Tea time, anyone?
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References:
Lee, et al. “VEGF Receptor Phosphorylation Status and Apoptosis is Modulated by a Green Tea Component.” Blood. 2004;0:200308276-0.
Petrassi C, et al. “Pycnogenol in chronic venous insufficiency.” Phytomedicine. 2000;7:383-388.
Putter M, et al. “Inhibition of smoking-induced platelet aggregation by aspirin and pycnogenol.” Thrombosis Research. 1999;95:155-161. |
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