Office workers are at an increased risk of being affected by deep vein thrombosis if they work for long uninterrupted hours on their computer. DVT is a condition that gives rise to blood clots in the legs which travel to the heat or the lung with often fatal consequences. 

This appearance of DVT in computer workers is being dubbed as e-thrombosis. The condition came to light after it emerged that a computer programmer in Bristol almost died after working for 12 hours without a break. "Immobility is a key factor in causing thrombosis," said Beverley Hunt, medical director of the charity Lifeblood. She added that few workers seemed to be aware of this condition. 

The term e-thrombosis was coined after a 32-year-old man in New Zealand fell a victim top an unexplained pulmonary embolism. It later emerged that he spent 12 hours a day at his computer without much movement. Bristol computer programmer 

Chris Simmons said that he had collapsed after sitting for 12 hours on his PC. An MRI scan revealed a pulmonary embolism. "Now I get up from the computer more often, even if it it's just to play with the cats for 10 minutes, or make a cup of tea," he said. Simmons is a vegetarian who works from his home. 

