Blood Clot Risk and What You Can Do
Risk Factors
Estimated risk for developing a DVT (blood clot in the leg) or PE (blood clot in the lung):
High Risk
- Hospital stay
- Major surgery, such as abdominal/pelvic surgery
- Knee or hip replacement
- Major trauma: automobile accident or fall
- Nursing home living
- Leg paralysis
Moderate Risk
- Older than age 65
- Trips over 4 hours by plane, car, train, or bus
- Active cancer/chemotherapy
- Bone fracture or cast
- Birth control pills, patch, or ring
- Hormone replacement therapy
- Pregnancy or recently gave birth
- Prior blood clot or family history of clot
- Heart failure
- Bed rest over 3 days
- Obesity
- Genetic/hereditary or acquired blood clotting disorder
Average Risk
- Active
- Younger than age 40
- No history of blood clots in immediate family
- No conditions or illnesses that heighten clotting risk
Practical Steps to Lower Your Risk for a Blood Clot
- Ask your doctor about need for “blood thinners” or compression stockings to prevent clots, whenever you are admitted to the hospital
- Lose weight, if you are overweight
- Stay active
- Exercise regularly; walking is fine
- Avoid long periods of staying still
- Get up and move around at least every hour whenever you travel on a plane, train, or bus, particularly if the trip is longer than 4 hours
- Point and flex your toes and make circles with your feet if you cannot move around while sitting for prolonged periods to get your blood circulating
- Stop at least every two hours when you drive, and get out and move around
- Drink a lot of water and wear loose fitted clothing when you travel
- Talk to your doctor about your risk of clotting whenever you take hormones, whether for birth control or replacement therapy, or during and right after any pregnancy
- Follow any self-care measures to keep heart failure, diabetes, or any other health issues as stable as possible
