Haematology
Urinary infection could cause deep vein thrombosis
By IANS
Apr 1, 2006 - 2:29:00 PM

Those who suffer from severe urinary infection are more likely to develop deadly blood clots, says a new study.

Earlier studies had found a link between acute infections and heart attacks, but scientists were unaware about the relationship between infections and clotting in large veins, reported the online edition of New Scientist.

Researcher Liam Smeeth at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and his colleagues studied more than 7,000 patients who had experienced deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot that develops in a deep vein usually in the lower leg.

The researchers who also identified nearly 4,000 patients who had suffered a pulmonary embolism - a dangerous blood clot in the lungs - found that urinary tract infections temporarily double a person's risk of both DVT and pulmonary embolism, a condition that occurs when an artery in your lung becomes blocked.

Patrick Vallance of the University College London, a co-author of the study, says researchers should conduct follow-up studies to see if interventions to treat temporary inflammation, for example following an operation, with drugs such as aspirin would reduce the risk of DVT and pulmonary embolism.

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