ost of us think of elite athletes as
being healthy with little or no risk of
cardiovascular conditions, but even these
dedicated and fit competitors can develop
abnormal blood clots.
Perhaps the most well-known
athlete to experience a blood clot is the
tennis icon Serena Williams, who had life-threatening
pulmonary embolism (PE) in 2011 after a foot injury and
cross country air travel.
But Ms. Williams isn’t alone. Retired Trailblazers
legend Jerome Kersey died in 2015 at age 52 of a PE
about a week after minor leg surgery. Miami Heat star
power forward Chris Bosh had a PE in February 2015
and missed the rest of the season while undergoing
treatment. He was sidelined again in 2016 reportedly
after a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurred, missed
the NBA Playoffs that year and did not play in the 2016-
17 season. National Hockey League players have also
been affected. Star forward Steven Stampkos from the
Tampa bay Lightning had a DVT in the arm veins and
underwent surgery in April 2016 to remove a rib that
was reducing blood flow.
Why would these super-healthy
people get blood clots?
Here’s how: Abnormal blood clots can occur in the
leg veins. This is called deep vein thrombosis, or DVT.
It causes leg pain, swelling and sometimes color change
like red streaks. DVT can also be present without any
symptoms. Sometimes when there is a DVT, pieces of the
blood clot break free and travel to the lungs. This can be
deadly and is called pulmonary embolism or PE.
These types of blood clots are treated with blood-
thinning medications, also called anticoagulants. This
problem is serious. Tracking is not very close in the United
States, but these clots occur in at least 300,000 to 600,000
people each year in the United States, and at least 30,000
people die after having them. By age 45, the remaining
lifetime risk of getting a DVT or PE is 8.1%.
About 1 or 2 in every 1,000 middle-aged people get
blood clots every year. So, just by chance athletes could
Risk Factors for Blood Clots in Athletes
Obesity is a risk factor for these abnormal clots.
Most pro athletes aren’t obese, but research suggests that
larger people, like those who are taller or have longer
legs, are at risk. This is because the ability of blood to
flow up the legs is more problematic for bigger people.
So for some athletes, especially basketball players who
tend to be very tall, risk might be higher. It’s interesting
that we don’t hear many reports of NFL players with
clots, as they are more likely to have obesity. It may be
that it is just less often reported; no research is available.
Athletes who use their arms heavily, like tennis
players, baseball pitchers and basketball players, are at
risk of clots involving the arm veins. These clots can
occur when a structure at the base of the neck, next to the
shoulder, called the thoracic outlet is narrowed. The vein,
artery and nerve supplying the arm have to pass through
this outlet, which is lined by muscles and bony structures.
By Mary Cushman, M.D. MSc.
Medical Director for the Thrombosis and Hemostasis Program and
Professor of Medicine at the University of Vermont Medical Center
Even Dedicated Athletes Can
Get Abnormal Blood Clots