Gamers aged 12 develop DVT after playing for hours

GAMERS as young as 12 have suffered potentially-deadly deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after becoming so absorbed in playing that they hardly moved for more than three hours, a study has revealed.

The cases have alarmed medical experts who say its virtually unknown for children so young to suffer DVT. The condition, where blood clots form from lack of movement in the legs, is normally restricted to older patients who have thicker blood, are less active and are more likely to be overweight.

It is more commonly associated with long-haul air travel. However, studies led by the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand has shown increasing incidence from people’s sedentary lifestyles due to computer working, TV and film viewing and gaming.

One 12-year-old had played for four hours with his legs in a kneeling position when he suffered a blood clot. Like other cases including a 15-year-old, he was young, healthy and with no other known risk factors.

The DVT and resulting pulmonary embolism were generally in gamers’ legs and followed three hours of nonstop playing without moving, although one developed it in his arms after lying on his back for three hours.

It was also associated with dehydration as they were so absorbed they ignored the body’s “thirst reflex” to drink, said researchers at Royal Perth Hospital.

Professor Richard Beasley, director of New Zealand’s Medical Research Institute and world expert in DVT and PE, said: “It really illustrates the strength of the risk that it can affect a person aged 12 who you would never expect to develop a blood clot.” His research showed immobility at work and on the computer or gaming at home could treble the risk of DVT and/or PE.

There are more than 2,000 deaths a year from pulmonary embolisms or thrombosis in the UK each year. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show those among under 30s doubled from nine to 18 in 2016.

Professor Beverley Hunt, medical director of Thrombosis UK, said they had dealt with a number of cases involving patients with thrombosis aged under 18, who were so addicted that they played into the early hours of the morning. She urged gaming firms to introduce alerts in games telling players to take breaks at least every 90 minutes.

Dr Jo Twist, chief executive of UKIE, the gaming industry’s trade body, said there was no conclusive evidence to link video games directly to DVT but added: “We encourage all players to take regular breaks of roughly five minutes for every hour of play and there are parental controls on all consoles that can restrict the amount of time spent playing games.”