The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 276 No 7397 p470
22 April 2006

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Compression stockings are shown to decrease DVT risk

Wearing compression stockings decreases the risk of symptomless deep vein thrombosis from about 10–30 per 1,000 to 1–3 per 1,000 long-haul airline passengers, according to a Cochrane review of 10 trials involving 2,856 people. Wearing stockings also reduces leg oedema. The review, published online in The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (19 April 2006), was unable to assess the relevance of these effects for outcomes such as death, pulmonary embolus and symptomatic DVT.