Sport and physical activity in general are fundamental tools for preventing numerous chronic diseases and for the proper physical and psychological development of young people. However, it can happen that even young people and athletes experience deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. The problem is poorly understood, often underestimated, and there is a lack of information in the scientific literature for its adequate management. <\/p>\n
To help athletes and sports professionals prevent thrombosis, recognize its signs, and encourage a safe return to sports activity, the Arianna Anticoagulation Foundation is launching the campaign ‘Back in the Game \u2013 Overcoming Thrombosis in Sports’ and a research project in collaboration with the Italian Association of Anticoagulated Patients (A.I.P.A) of Cremona, alongside the Federation of Centers for the Diagnosis of Thrombosis and Surveillance of Antithrombotic Therapies (F.C.S.A.).<\/p>\n
Although athletes<\/strong> are generally considered to be at low risk for venous thromboembolism (deep vein thrombosis<\/a> and pulmonary embolism<\/a>), they are not immune to it because, in addition to the congenital or acquired risk factors that affect the general population, they may be exposed to specific predisposing factors<\/strong> related to sports practice, including repetitive use of certain muscle groups, dehydration, post-injury immobilization, frequent long-distance travel, and the use of oral contraceptives in female athletes[1]<\/sup>.<\/p>\n Furthermore, numerous studies have shown that physical exercise<\/strong> itself significantly influences<\/strong> the balance of the hemostatic system<\/strong>, causing a dynamic modulation between procoagulant and anticoagulant factors that, in the case of intense activity, can induce a transient increase in both blood coagulability and platelet aggregation as well as fibrinolytic activity (i.e., the ability to “dissolve” the clot) [2]<\/sup>.<\/p>\n A delicate balance, therefore, that can be “tipped” by particular situations and predisposing factors. For example, sports characterized by repetitive movements or intense exertion<\/strong> may be associated with thrombosis of the upper or lower limbs depending on the muscle group most heavily engaged. The literature describes cases of thrombosis, more often venous, of the upper limb<\/strong><\/a> in baseball, hockey, volleyball, basketball, canoeing and rowing, weightlifting, or of the lower limb<\/strong> as in running and sports with a risk of trauma. <\/p>\n The onset of thrombotic complications can have profound implications not only in the short term but also in the long term on sports activity, with the development of post-thrombotic syndrome<\/a> or limitations in cardiorespiratory performance due to the sequelae of pulmonary embolism<\/a>. Anticoagulant therapy itself<\/strong>, essential for reducing the risk of serious complications such as pulmonary embolism and, in extreme cases, death from fatal pulmonary embolism, represents an additional limiting factor<\/strong> for intensive physical activity, particularly for sports with a high risk of trauma and falls, due to the increased risk of bleeding.<\/p>\n All of this can lead to significant changes in the life paths of young athletes and the professional careers of elite athletes<\/strong>, ranging from premature career termination to prolonged absences from competition and training due to the need for long-term anticoagulant treatment, with clear repercussions on the individual’s psychological well-being as well.<\/p>\n Some internationally renowned athletes have helped raise awareness of this condition by making their own clinical experiences public\u2014such as Serena Williams<\/a>, one of the greatest professional tennis players, who suffered from recurrent pulmonary embolism, or Agostino Abbagnale<\/a>, an Olympic and world rowing champion who competed while undergoing anticoagulant therapy for repeated venous thrombosis.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, risk perception remains limited<\/strong> among both athletes and sport professionals, and symptoms<\/strong> are frequently underestimated or overlooked<\/strong>\u2014particularly in athletes<\/strong>\u2014because they can mimic conditions associated with the sport itself (such as a classic muscle strain).<\/p>\n It is therefore essential to promote greater awareness of thromboembolic risk in sport<\/strong>. Coaches, sports physicians, and athletes must be adequately informed about the signs and symptoms of venous thromboembolism and predisposing factors. Particular attention should be given to female athletes using hormonal contraceptives, considering alternatives in high-risk individuals. <\/p>\n The “Back in the Game\u2014Beating Thrombosis in Sport”<\/strong> campaign promoted by the Arianna Anticoagulation Foundation, in collaboration with the Italian Association of Anticoagulated Patients of Cremona (A.I.P.A.), aims to raise awareness regarding prevention measures and the early recognition of thrombosis symptoms\u2014which often go unrecognized in athletes.<\/p>\n The lack of attention paid to this area is reflected in the small number of available scientific publications<\/strong>. In fact, 80% of the studies published from 1950 to the present on this topic are clinical case reports; there are also only eight observational studies of very limited size and 18 reviews or expert opinions, including the recent F.C.S.A. position paper<\/a>[3]<\/sup>. <\/p>\n The organized collection of data in this area is complex and essentially unfunded, so much so that one of the few available studies inferred information from what was published in the media regarding episodes of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in professional athletes belonging to major U.S. leagues<\/strong>[4]<\/sup>: from 1999 to 2016, information was found online about 55 professional athletes who experienced episodes of deep vein thrombosis of the upper or lower limb and\/or pulmonary embolism. Six athletes had repeated VTE episodes. In about half of the cases, it was possible to identify risk factors, but it cannot be ruled out that other athletes also had predisposing factors (although these did not emerge from public reports). Overall, 85% of the athletes returned to play, with no significant differences in the time to return to competitive activity among the various sports. The average time away from play was 6.7 months, but it ranged from a minimum of 3 months to permanent retirement from activity. Athletes with upper limb DVT returned to sports activity more quickly than others. Information on the type and duration of treatments was scarce and did not allow conclusions to be drawn.We hope that this study will provide the basis for future research on VTE management, in order to help athletes stay healthy and return to their sport<\/em>“\u2014the authors conclude[4]<\/sup>.<\/p>\n The lack of information<\/strong> regarding the causes, modifiable risk factors, and clinical management of athletes with venous thromboembolism\u2014as well as the management of anticoagulant therapy concerning the duration of treatment and the resumption of sports activity\u2014represents a significant issue<\/strong>.\n<\/p>\n For this reason, the Arianna Anticoagulation Foundation has launched a clinical research project in collaboration with F.C.S.A.<\/strong> This initiative will involve numerous Italian thrombosis centers and sports medicine departments, aiming to identify potentially preventable predisposing factors and analyze current strategies for managing thrombosis and anticoagulant therapy in athletes, thereby enabling a safe “return to the game.”<\/p>\n “This is an area in which scientific evidence is still limited (5)<\/a> and where many clinical decisions are currently made based on the individual experience of professionals<\/em>“\u2014explained Daniela Poli, President of the Arianna Anticoagulation Foundation and one of the authors of the F.C.S.A. consensus document on the management of anticoagulant therapy in athletes\u2014”our study will also collect information on the management of anticoagulated patients who wish to begin a sports activity. An increasingly common reality that must be addressed on the basis of solid data. The experience of F.C.S.A. centers and other thrombosis centers can provide an important contribution to the collection of this data and to scientific research through the START observational registry, already launched in collaboration with the Arianna Foundation<\/em>“\u2014Poli concluded.<\/p>\n We thank A.I.P.A. Cremona for supporting the initiative.<\/em><\/p>\n Read also:<\/p>\n Fatal pulmonary embolism in professional athletes<\/a><\/p>\n A strange discomfort in the arm<\/a><\/p>\n References:<\/strong><\/p>\n Sport and physical activity in general are fundamental tools for preventing numerous chronic diseases and for the proper physical and psychological development of young people. However, it can happen that even young people and athletes experience deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. The problem is poorly understood, often underestimated, and there is a lack of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":116,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"iawp_total_views":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-thrombosis-and-sport"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/anticoagulazione.it\/actions\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/anticoagulazione.it\/actions\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/anticoagulazione.it\/actions\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anticoagulazione.it\/actions\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anticoagulazione.it\/actions\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=135"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/anticoagulazione.it\/actions\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":314,"href":"https:\/\/anticoagulazione.it\/actions\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135\/revisions\/314"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anticoagulazione.it\/actions\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/116"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/anticoagulazione.it\/actions\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anticoagulazione.it\/actions\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=135"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anticoagulazione.it\/actions\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What consequences can thrombosis have for an athlete?<\/h2>\n
A little-known condition<\/h2>\n
What does the scientific literature say?<\/h2>\n
Research by the Arianna Anticoagulation Foundation<\/h2>\n
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