The truth about legs, lungs and pulmonary embolisms…

A pulmonary embolism is a blockage caused in one of the arteries in the lungs. It generally occurs when arterial plaque or a clot breaks away from the veins in the legs. The clots that form in the legs are known as deep vein thrombosis and can cause a great deal of pain and discomfort to sufferers. The conditions aren’t uncommon but they’re also not to the norm however, in a recent study in the Netherlands, researchers have been trying to show the link between a higher chance of a pulmonary embolism and the common respiratory condition, asthma.

This research could be very bad news for asthmatics as pulmonary embolisms are dangerous and can, in the worst circumstances, be deadly. The study involved 650 subjects between the ages of 18 and 88 each of whom had asthma.

It was shown that those who suffered from a severe version of the respiratory disorder were as much as nine times more likely to get a pulmonary embolism and that those who suffered from the more moderate form of asthma were at a 3.5 times higher risk rate. Bad news in general for asthmatics but good news in the respect that, now this connection has been made, asthmatics and their health-care professionals can plan ahead. With all diseases, the severe and the not-so-severe, patients stand a much better chance of beating them if they’re caught early. A pre-warning could be all it takes to ensure an asthmatic takes the step to negate their pulmonary embolism.

This research is particularly interesting as it’s the first time this link has been made. Doctors are likely to start making use of it soon and it’s likely that various follow up studies into similar areas will be started soon. Watch this space and let’s see if asthma can’t warn patients of other conditions too!