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Large people often have an increased risk of thrombosis
In Germany alone, around 100,000 people die each year as a result of venous thrombosis. It has long been known that increasing age, certain pre-existing conditions, smoking, obesity and physical inactivity increase the risk of thrombosis. Researchers have now discovered another risk factor: they found that the risk of vascular occlusion in large people is higher.
100,000 Germans die each year as a result of thrombosis
According to the German Society for Angiology / Society of Vascular Medicine (DGA), the number of thromboses and the associated complications in the form of pulmonary embolism has increased significantly in recent years. An undiscovered thrombosis quickly becomes a mortal danger. In Germany alone, an estimated 100,000 people die each year as a result of venous thrombosis. Researchers from Sweden now report that large people have a higher risk of thrombosis.
A new study has shown that large people have a higher risk of thrombosis. In the future, according to the researchers, the size of the body should be taken into account, just as overweight should be taken into account when assessing the personal risk. (Image: zlikovec / fotolia.com) Blood clot clogs vessel
In a thrombosis, a blood clot (thrombus) is formed, which can constrict a vessel or completely clogged. Most commonly, this happens in the leg veins.
If the blood graft dissolves and is flushed into the lungs with the bloodstream, it can block blood vessels (thromboembolism) and cause pulmonary embolism, which is often fatal.
In addition, blood clots can cause a heart attack or stroke and other circulatory disorders.
High age as the main risk factor
Age is the main risk factor for thrombosis. According to health experts, the danger increases significantly from the age of 60 years. Even people with varicose veins, lung or heart disease, as well as smokers and obese people have an increased risk of thrombosis.
In addition, it is known that a lack of exercise, such as after prolonged bed rest after surgery or during air travel and also hormonal changes such as in pregnancy or birth control pills have an increased risk of thrombosis.
Swedish researchers now report in the journal "Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics", which apparently also large people have a higher risk of thrombosis.
The experts found in their analysis that the risk of clogging a vein with a migrating blood clot increases with both men and women.
If the results are confirmed, body height should be considered in the future as well as obesity in the assessment of personal risk, said lead author Bengt Zöller of the University of Lund in Malmö in a statement quoted by the American Heart Association.
Big people have longer leg veins
To get to their conclusions, the researchers examined data from more than 2.5 million Swedish men and women.
The evaluation showed that the risk of venous thromboembolism increases with body size. The smallest subjects had the least risk, according to the study authors.
Thus, the risk for men who were smaller than 1.60 meters, fell by about 65 percent compared to men over 1.90 meters.
Sibling data also showed that larger men and women had a higher risk of thromboembolism than their smaller brothers or sisters.
"It could be that in larger people with longer leg veins there is simply more surface area where there can be problems," Zöller said.
"In the leg veins of large people, there is a higher gravitational pressure, which increases the risk that the blood flow slows or temporarily stops."
You can not change the height of the body
According to Zöller, the results of the study could explain an observation by physicians: "The body size in the population has increased and continues to rise, which could contribute to an increase in thrombosis numbers."
But: "height is something we can not change," says the study author. The height of people is largely determined by the genes. Environmental factors also play a major role.
According to experts, better nutrition, improved hygiene and better medical care are responsible for the growth in size over the past decades.
Previous studies have also shown that height controls the risk of a number of diseases.
Scientists from the German Center for Diabetes Research and the Harvard School of Public Health (USA) summarized some of the previous findings last year.
Larger people therefore have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, but a higher risk of cancer. (Ad)