Research shows compression socks can reduce likelihood of blood clots
New tests have shown that wearing compression socks on long-haul flights DOES reduce the chance of getting blood clots.
Research by an Italian team, carried out on 205 people known to be at risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), was published over the weekend at a conference in Lisbon. Half of the group were told to wear the socks on a flight lasting around 12 hours, half were not.
Of the 103 people who wore the socks, just one developed a blood clot, while of the people not wearing the socks, six developed clots. The leader of the study, Professor Gianni Belcaro, stated: “If you fly for 12 hours, and if you have a high chance of DVT, there is a chance you will get a clot, but if you wear flight socks it is possible that a clot will not develop.
According to The Times, he added that the best way to avoid DVT was to “stop cramming people into aircraft” – but that until that was a feasible solution, the best bet was to wear compression socks.
