Air Travel and Venous Thromboembolism — Is the Evidence In?

Long Flights Can Cause Blood Clots, Group Warns— Boston Globe, August 30, 1997Airlines Sued over Blood Clots— The Times, London, January 8, 2001International Carriers Address New Threat: Coach-Class Syndrome — Wall Street Journal, June 27, 2001These three headlines from the general press highlight a growing concern: Is air travel, especially over long distances, associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism?In 1954, Homans¹ reported on the association between air travel and venous thromboembolism. Fourteen years earlier, Simpson² had already documented a marked increase in the monthly incidence of pulmonary embolism among persons who were . . .