Cushman Quoted in AP Story on Deep Vein Thrombosis in Athletes
Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., University Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and co-director of the Vermont Center for Cardiovascular and Brain Health, was quoted in an AP article about deep vein thrombosis in elite professional athletes.
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is an abnormal clot within a vessel where the congealing of blood blocks the flow through on the way back to the heart. It is most common in legs but also can happen in the arms, like NBA player Victor Wembanyama’s right shoulder.
Any number of things can cause DVT, ranging from immobility and trauma to family history and dehydration. Symptoms include inexplicable swelling and discoloration or pain, or some combination of those factors, and experts say the worry is the clot traveling through the blood stream causing a pulmonary embolism or death.
“If you have a blood clot in a vein and a piece dislodges, it just goes with the flow where the blood is going and it ends up in the lung,” said Cushman. “When you have a DVT in the leg or the arm, there’s a chance that it will break free, and when it breaks free, it can end up lodged in the lung. And if it’s large enough, that can kill a person.”
The most common course of treatment is blood thinners. Cushman points out that an on-court (or on-field or on-ice) injury that draws blood would make competing while on anticoagulants more of a risk for athletes.
Sometimes surgery is involved or blood thinners for the long term. That is why Cushman called the decision for athletes to take time off—and how long they might be out—“really an individualized decision.”
“You have to determine a care plan that’s best for that person, so that’s going to relate to the circumstances where they had their clot and the risk level they’re willing to accept,” Cushman said.
Experts say there is no evidence to suggest that elite professional athletes are more predisposed to blood clots than those of comparable ages in the general population. Cushman said the risk for people in their 20s and 30s of developing deep vein thrombosis or a pulmonary embolism is 1 in 10,000. One likely reason blood clots come to light more often with elite athletes is the number of trainers, doctors, and medical staff around to provide care.