Work From Home Culture, Poor Hydration Linked To Rising DVT Cases In Young Indians: Delhi Doctors Warn

It is common knowledge that smoking and poor lifestyle choices are recipes for disaster. But while we are constantly warned about heart attacks, lung disease or diabetes, one crucial system rarely gets the same attention- the vascular system.In simple terms, the vascular system (also called the circulatory system) is the body’s vast network of arteries, veins and capillaries that transports blood and lymph. It delivers oxygen and nutrients to tissues, removes waste and works closely with the heart to regulate circulation and blood pressure. When this system is compromised, the consequences can be silent... and serious.Prof. (Dr.) Digvijay Sharma, Associate Director, Vascular Surgery & Interventions, CK Birla Hospital, Delhi, says the biggest

mistakes people make in regard to their vascular system are smoking and poor control of diabetes and blood pressure but one important reason that is often ignored is inadequate hydration. “Many people neglect water intake until they become very thirsty, and then drink a lot of water at once, which is inefficient hydration. While smoking acts directly on the vessels and damages them, uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension weaken the vascular system gradually. All these habits together impair circulation considerably,” he explains. So if you are someone who guzzles down one litre at a time to make up for not drinking water regularly through the day, you need to be cautious.And for all those who hate coming to office and envy people working from home, advice by Dr. Akhil Kumar Rustgi, Senior Director and Head of Department of Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery at Sharda Hospital, will make you think twice. “As you all know, the work-from-home culture is developing fast in the corporate world. This causes young people to sit at home, at their desks, in front of computers for long hours without any physical activity. All this leads to decreased circulation in the legs. There is stasis of blood in the veins of the leg, causing clotting problems, what we call deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Now, if the clot remains in the leg, it may not affect too much. But if it migrates to your lungs or heart, it can have serious consequences and sometimes even endanger your life.”

He warns that young people who sit at desks for long hours, lead sedentary lifestyles or are obese have a higher propensity to develop DVT. Dr Rustgi recommends that young people stay active, even if they are working from home, maintain a healthy lifestyle and avoid fried and fatty foods that many tend to consume while sitting at home and working. This, he says, will help improve both heart and vascular health. He also adds that in some young patients, vascular problems may be genetically associated.To this, Dr Sharma adds, “Sitting for 7–8 hours limits the movement of the calf muscles, which are referred to as the peripheral heart. These muscles help pump blood back to the heart. Sitting without movement compromises circulation back to the heart. Movement, even once an hour involving walking, standing or rotating the ankles can prevent many complications.”Even people who work out are not completely safe, because how you spend the majority of your day matters. “Normally, the young patients who come to us are between 25 to 30 years of age and are very active in the gym. But when you take their history, they have been sitting at desks for long periods, working in front of computers or in tech jobs. They come saying they have developed swelling in the leg, which is increasing and causing pain. When we do a Doppler study, we find clots in the veins of the leg,” shares Dr Rustgi.“I have seen patients as young as 22 to 25 years coming with DVT. My advice to them is: be active and rule out genetic causes because treatment of deep vein thrombosis will vary. There are certain enzyme deficiencies seen in young patients like protein C and protein S deficiency. There is also a gene mutation called Factor V Leiden (chromosome 5 mutation). Antithrombin III deficiency - all these conditions make people more prone to vascular complications.”When asked about a myth he would like to bust regarding blood circulation, Dr Sharma says the biggest misconception is that smoking only leads to lung cancer. “The harsh reality is that smoking severely damages blood vessels, leading to vascular diseases that can be equally lethal,” he says.So how do you go about diagnosis? It begins with a clinical examination. Non-invasive tests such as ultrasound, CT scan or MRI help assess blood flow. Blood tests are usually not required unless infection is suspected. But doctors insist prevention is far simpler than treatment. Move every hour, hydrate, control diabetes and blood pressure, and don’t underestimate the damage of smoking. Because circulation problems don’t always announce themselves loudly until they suddenly do.