Severe cases can be fatal! These 4 things may cause blood clots, which many people often do but have been ignored

In life, many people may not regard thrombosis as a problem that requires serious attention, especially young people, who feel that thrombosis is still far away from them.

In fact, this is not the case. The "invisible killer" of blood clots often lurks quietly in our daily lives and may even cause serious consequences without our knowledge, such as stroke, myocardial infarction, etc., and even threaten life in severe cases.

Some common behaviors in our daily lives may be fueling blood clots, allowing this "invisible killer" to take up residence in the arteries and veins of our bodies.

Sitting for long periods of time : The "health risk" of modern life

In modern life, we are already "seated" and use computers when working and use mobile phones when resting. However, seemingly "relaxed" long-term sitting is a major hidden danger of blood clots.

Long periods of sitting and long distance travel may lead to reduced blood flow and decreased shear stress as a result of prolonged sitting time. This reduction in shear stress can cause vasoconstriction and lead to endothelial dysfunction.

At the same time, long-term sitting can also lead to chronic inflammation and increased oxidative stress in the body, as well as affect blood lipid metabolism (such as increased triglycerides, increased low-density lipoproteins and decreased high-density lipoproteins), further damaging endothelial function. These factors are creating favorable conditions for arterial and venous thrombosis, so we should try to avoid sitting for long periods of time and maintain regular exercise habits.

Studies on arterial thrombosis have found that regular exercise can play a preventive role in reducing platelet reactivity, changing coagulation activity, and promoting thrombolysis. In fact, these effects also reduce the risk of venous thrombosis. In addition, studies on venous thrombosis have found that for every additional hour of sitting time, the risk of venous thromboembolism increases by 2%. And after adjusting for physical activity levels, sedentary behavior still leads to a 19% increase in the risk of deep vein thrombosis, which indicates that the contributions of sedentary and exercise to the risk of deep vein thrombosis are independent. This suggests that it is particularly important to avoid sitting for long periods of time.

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Doing short, mild or moderate exercises every 20 to 30 minutes, such as walking, to break up long periods of sitting can immediately produce results, such as lowering postprandial blood sugar, insulin and blood lipid levels. However, do not suddenly engage in intense, high-intensity exercise, which is not friendly to blood vessels.

No matter how busy you are at work, remember to move, even if it's just to stand up and stretch.

Dehydration:

"Small Problems" You May Ignore

Seeing this, you may think, "How could I be dehydrated? At most I'm a little thirsty, so I just need to drink water." But in fact, dehydration is not far away from us. Sweating, diarrhea, vomiting, and heat stroke can all cause dehydration and allow blood clots to form quietly in your body.

When the body is dehydrated, the water content in the blood decreases, the blood becomes thicker, the blood flow slows down and the blood concentrates, which will enhance the aggregation of platelets and the activation of coagulation factors , which provides favorable conditions for the formation of blood clots . The tendency to form blood clots increases significantly, which is dangerous for both arteries and veins.

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There was a report abroad of a 30-year-old man who had a large area of ​​deep vein thrombosis in his lower extremities due to diarrhea for 4 days. There was also a report of a 2-week-old full-term baby girl who had a large thrombus in the main branch of the pulmonary artery due to severe dehydration. These are vivid examples that deserve our vigilance.

The easiest way to prevent dehydration is to drink enough water. Drink at least 1.5 to 2 liters of water every day. It is very important to replenish water in time, especially after exercise and when you sweat a lot. Don't wait until you are thirsty to drink water, because your body is already in a state of mild dehydration.

Remember, water is one of the keys to keeping blood flowing smoothly and is also an "invisible weapon" for preventing blood clots.

Long-term use of estrogen:

Increased risk of blood clots

Some women need to take medications containing estrogen for reasons such as contraception, menstrual irregularities, polycystic ovary syndrome, and menopause. Estrogen can promote platelet activation, increase the levels of coagulation factors (such as II, VII, VIII, and X), and reduce the activity of anticoagulant proteins (such as protein S), thereby leading to a procoagulant state.

In addition, estrogen can increase the levels of fibrinogen and von Willebrand factor (vWF), further increasing the possibility of thrombosis. Therefore, taking drugs containing estrogen will significantly increase the risk of venous thromboembolism and arterial thrombosis, and this risk is closely related to the dose, duration of use and route of administration of estrogen. Especially for women with a family history of thrombosis, the risk will be further increased.

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So, what should people who are taking or planning to take estrogen medications long-term do?

Women at high risk of thrombosis (such as those with a history of thrombosis or a family predisposition to thrombosis) can take contraceptives that do not contain estrogen or use other non-drug methods of contraception; when starting estrogen treatment, be sure to consult a doctor to understand whether your health condition is suitable; at the same time, try to avoid other behaviors that increase the risk of thrombosis, have regular physical examinations, and monitor changes in your body.

Smoking:

The catalyst for thrombosis

Everyone knows that smoking is harmful to health, but many people don’t know that smoking also significantly increases the risk of blood clots.

First, the harmful chemicals in tobacco can directly damage the inner wall of blood vessels , affect the normal function of endothelial cells, reduce the production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostacyclin (PGI2), and weaken the anti-thrombotic effect of endothelial cells .

Secondly, the harmful substances in cigarette smoke also activate platelets, making them more likely to aggregate and form blood clots.

In addition, cigarette exposure increases the levels of tissue factor and fibrinogen in the body, which are procoagulants that further promote the formation of blood clots . Cigarettes also increase the risk of blood clots by inducing inflammatory responses and releasing inflammatory factors such as C-reactive protein and interleukin-6.

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In short, cigarette smoke affects the balance of endothelial cells, platelets and procoagulant factors, causing blood vessels to become fragile and platelets to aggregate more easily to form blood clots. In other words, smoking not only harms the lungs and heart, it is also a "catalyst" for the formation of arterial and venous thrombosis.

Specifically, current smokers have a 23% increased risk of venous thrombosis compared to non-smokers , but this risk drops to 10% after quitting smoking. Quitting smoking is also good for arterial thrombosis, with heavy smokers (≥ 20 pack-years) reducing their cardiovascular risk by about 39% within 5 years of quitting.

Therefore, quitting smoking is still an effective way to reduce thrombosis. No matter how long you have been smoking, the health of your blood vessels will gradually improve after you quit smoking, and the risk of thrombosis will gradually decrease over time. Although quitting smoking is not easy, its health benefits are obvious.

If you have difficulty quitting smoking, you can seek help from a doctor and use medication or psychological counseling to gradually quit smoking, giving your blood vessels a chance to "reborn" and staying away from the threat of blood clots.

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For arteriovenous thrombosis, there are also some typical symptoms that deserve our attention:

If you suddenly find swelling, soreness, redness or purpleness in your lower limbs, or if you suddenly experience chest pain, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing after sitting for a long time, you should consider venous thrombosis and seek medical attention as soon as possible.

If the typical 5P signs ( pain , paresthesia , paralysis , pulselessness , pallor ) appear, acute arterial embolism should be considered and medical attention should be sought as soon as possible.

The "invisible killer" of blood clots is not far away. Understanding these risk factors in daily life and taking simple preventive measures can effectively reduce the chance of blood clots. Maintaining healthy living habits, avoiding sitting for long periods of time, drinking plenty of water, and quitting smoking are all key steps to protect yourself and stay away from blood clots.

Prevention of thrombosis starts with small things and don’t let it become the fuse of health risks.

References

[1]Bell AC, Richards J, Zakrzewski-Fruer JK, et al. Sedentary Behavior-A Target for the Prevention and Management of Cardiovascular Disease. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;20(1):532.

[2]Wang G, Han B, Dai G, et al. Role of physical activity and sedentary behavior in venous thromboembolism: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. Sci Rep. 2024;14(1):22088.

[3]Shbeer A. Extensive Lower Limb Deep Vein Thrombosis Provoked by Gastroenteritis-Induced Dehydration: A Case Report for Unusual Precipitating Factor. Int Med Case Rep J. 2022;15:713-718.

[4]Elias S, Hoffman R, Saharov G, et al. Dehydration as a Possible Cause of Monthly Variation in the Incidence of Venous Thromboembolism. Clin Appl Thromb Hemost. 2016;22(6):569-74.

[5]Abou-Ismail MY, Citla Sridhar D, Nayak L. Estrogen and thrombosis: A bench to bedside review. Thromb Res. 2020;192:40-51.

[6]Barua RS, Ambrose JA. Mechanisms of coronary thrombosis in cigarette smoke exposure. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2013;33(7):1460-7.

[7]Cheng YJ, Liu ZH, Yao FJ, et al. Current and former smoking and risk for venous thromboembolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS Med. 2013;10(9):e1001515.

Planning and production

Author: Jiang Yongyuan, Master of Internal Medicine, Third Military Medical University

Review丨Li ​​Qingchen, deputy chief physician of thoracic surgery, Harbin Children's Hospital

Planning丨Wang Mengru

Editor: Wang Mengru

Proofread by Xu Lailinlin