Study finds dangers of sitting at a desk 

People who sit at desks for long periods of time are as much at risk of developing potentially fatal blood clots as those who take long distance flights, according to a new study.

Airlines around the world have faced lawsuits from passengers who claim they weren't adequately warned of the risk of blood clots, commonly known as economy class syndrome.

But a study by Wellington Hospital doctor Richard Beasley, published in the British Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, shows prolonged seated immobility is at least as significant a risk.

Beasley interviewed 97 Wellington Hospital patients under the age of 65 who had recently been admitted to hospital with deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolisms, which happen when a clot moves to the lungs.

He found the risk of clots increased as the total number of hours spent seated at work grew.

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