Taking maritime pine bark extract before a long-haul flight could help travelers reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), say researchers in a new study into the effects of Pycnogenol supplementation on leg-swelling.During a flight of seven to 12 hours duration, most people will notice their ankles and legs start to swell due to lack of movement, insufficient circulation of blood through the veins and accumulation of fluid in the tissues. The conditions within the aircraft cabin – that is, water loss in compressed environment and decreased low fluid intake – can also contribute. In some passengers, the cumulative effects of these factors can cause a blood clot to develop – a condition known DVT or ‘economy class syndrome’, since it is more likely to occur in cramped conditions. Research has suggested that DVT can occur in as many as ten percent of air travelers, but in most the clot disintegrates of its own accord causing no ill effects. But in some case it becomes dislodged and travels through the blood stream, and if it reaches the lungs it can cause potentially fatal pulmonary embolism. According to the National Institutes of Health, DVT affects two million Americans a year, six hundred thousand of whom develop pulmonary embolism and 60 thousand of these die. The double-blind, placebo controlled study is published in the July issue of Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis. It builds on earlier research published in the same journal in October 2004, which concluded that the supplement is effective in protecting against thrombotic events (DVT and superficial vein thrombosis) in moderate to high-risk subjects during long haul flights.
