Study claims aircraft air quality causes DVT

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can be caused by poor air quality in aircraft, new research has indicated.

Before the study, published in today's issue of The Lancet, it was thought that air travellers developed the condition solely from sitting still for hours on end.

But scientists from the World Health Organisation have shown that being on an aircraft itself can play a prominent role in the potentially fatal syndrome.

The experiment showed that passengers sitting on an aircraft for eight hours were at greater risk of developing DVT than those seated on the ground.

Experts assert the research could have far-reaching implications for the airline industry.

"This is a very significant study in that for the first time it establishes a solid link between air travel and DVT," Farrol Kahn of non-profit air travel health body Aviation Health told the Daily Telegraph.

It is unclear how the new evidence may impact passenger compensation rights, with the House of Lords ruling only recently that airlines don't have to pay compensation to DVT victims.

But it does suggest simply taking regular exercise while on a long-haul flight may not be sufficient to combat the threat of the condition.

DVT - also known as economy-class syndrome - is the medical term for blood clotting within blood vessels. Some 10,000 Britons are thought to contract the condition each year from air travel.

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