Less than half of Singaporeans aware that sitting for hours can increase risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis: Survey

SINGAPORE — DO you sit for hours on end at the office? Or are you an avid gamer who spends long periods of time in front of your computer?

If your answer is yes, you could potentially put yourself at risk of suffering from Deep Vein Thromobosis (DVT), a blood clot that forms most often in the legs,

Although Deep Vein Thromobosis (DVT) is usually associated with long-haul flights, it is a potentially fatal condition that can be brought about by something as simple as sitting for prolonged periods.

Even an hour and a half of no activity can reduce blood flow behind the knees by 50 per cent, according to pharmeceutical company Bayer HealthCare.

In a Blood Clot Awareness Survey conducted online by the pharmaceutical company, only about 46 per cent of about 1,000 Singaporeans polled were aware of the condition.

The survey polled Singaporeans aged 18 to 64 in the lead up to World Thrombosis Day on Oct 13.

A sedentary lifestyle, or lack of exercise or movement can increase the risk of DVT and clots are potentially fatal because if it detaches and moves within the blood stream until it obstructs a smaller vessel, damage to vital organs can result because the tissue beyond the blockage no longer receives nutrients and oxygen.

However, according to Bayer, “a simple and easy way to prevent blood clots is to keep moving”.

So, to encourage Singaporeans to keep moving, Bayer Healthcare is giving out 5,000 free pedometers at the Health Promotion Board’s activities such as Fitness@Work which will take place at the UOB plaza, Singapore River promenade, every Wednesday from 6.30 to 7.30pm in the month of October.

This is part of a bigger “Time2Move Challenge” held worldwide that “motivates people to keep moving as they learn more about the risks of blood clots and compete with one another to achieve the highest numbers of steps taken”.