Xbox addict ‘dies from blood clot’

[Playinghardball]

Source: Raw Story
By Agence France-Presse

Tags: deep vein thrombosis, long haul flights, science fiction worldsThe family of a budding computer programmer have on Saturday launched a campaign to raise awareness about the health risks of playing online computer games after their son died following a marathon session on his Xbox.

A post-mortem revealed that 20-year-old Chris Staniforth -- who was offered a place to study Game Design at Leicester University -- was killed by a pulmonary embolism, which can occur if someone sits in the same position for several hours.

Deep vein thrombosis normally affects passengers on long-haul flights, but medical experts fear youngsters who spend hours glued to their consoles might also be at risk and have urged them to take regular breaks.

Professor Brian Colvin -- an expert on blood-related conditions -- said it was "unhealthy" for youngsters to spend long periods in front of their consoles.

More at: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/07/30/xbox-addict-dies-from-blood-clot/

[begin_within]

1. But he had 2 more lives in his reserve cache!

[Initech]

15. OMG!!!

:rofl:

[whatchamacallit]

21. So wrong, but

LOL!

[chrisa]

26. lol

[AndyTiedye]

2. Sitting Still is Bad For You

[sarcasmo]

3. Sedentary the silent killer.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. Murdoch's Sun had this as the front page story today: "DEATH BY XBOX"

There's nothing like a bit of sensationalising a death, while implicating another corporation's product, is there? Never mind that they have this quote from his father, inside the story: "Over the years Chris had a whole range of different consoles, everything from PlayStations to Xboxes. I'm not for one minute blaming the manufacturer of Xbox." It's the Xbox that, according to the headline you can see several feet away in the store, was the cause of death. :banghead:

Murdoch's minions mostly miss morality.

[seabeyond]

5. thank you. calling both boys in to read this.... nt

[Bladian]

12. Why? It's not the game's fault. n/t

[seabeyond]

14. did i say anything about it being the games fault? why? so the boys are aware of an issue

they are informed. and they can then make good choices. like not sit their ass in one place for too long. i also told the one son less active the same happens on long flights in airplanes. not a matter of blame. not a matter of saying no computer or xbox. a matter of being aware.

[demmiblue]

33. Yep, better to be informed.

I tell my own parents to walk around when they are on a long air flight!

Sure, they do not need to hear it, but I can't help reminding them! :loveya:

[Ohio Joe]

6. BAN VIDEO GAMES!

Because nothing else in the history of mankind has caused people to sit for a few hours at a time.

The stupid fucking hurts sometimes and that is perhaps the stupidest article I've ever read. I think it made my heart rate low.

[Drale]

10. Self Delete.

[Codeine]

7. Who sits still when they game?

I bounce around like a crack-addled gibbon.

[Drale]

11. I do as well

I bounce around, yell at the TV and so on and so on.:rofl: This happens all the time in South Korea, where the national sport is Star Craft at least once a month I hear about people falling over dead after playing for 48 to 72 hours straight.

[Rex]

8. More information.

What are the causes of deep vein thrombosis?

Blood is meant to flow; if it becomes stagnant there is a potential for it to clot. The blood in veins is constantly forming microscopic clots that are routinely broken down by the body. If the balance of clot formation and resolution is altered, significant clotting can occur. A thrombus can form if one, or a combination of the following situations is present.

Immobility

Prolonged travel and sitting, such as long airplane flights ("economy class syndrome"), car, or train travel

Hospitalization

Surgery

Trauma to the lower leg with or without surgery or casting

Pregnancy, including 6-8 weeks post partum

Obesity

Hypercoagulability (coagulation of blood faster than usual)

Medications (for example, birth control pills, estrogen)

Smoking

Genetic predisposition

Polycythemia (increased number of red blood cells)

Cancer

Trauma to the vein

Fracture to the leg

Bruised leg

Complication of an invasive procedure of the vein

[KittyWampus]

9. I believe that's what happened to Kephra.

[tishaLA]

13. I think you're right nt

[Kaleva]

16. I have to get up & walk around every few minutes when I'm on DU

Otherwise, my legs and then my arms go numb.

[seabeyond]

17. i cant sit for anything. reading, i get up and walk into kitchen to read du.

watching a movie can take me hours the number of times i pause.

i dont just sit, well.

[Codeine]

19. You and me both.

Even when I'm sitting "still" my legs are bouncing up and down and my feet tapping out rhythms on the floor. And the Pause button thing drives people around me nuts -- "Just play the damned movie already!" :rofl:

[seabeyond]

31. hey, swinging leg as i read, lol.

when i was hitting 40 i told doctor concerned about gaining weight as i aged. he says, nah, not worried about me. doesnt see it. everything i do is fast. talk, walk, drive, think.... fast fast fast.

also why i never had a problem with taking kids out of a restaurant after ordering. lol. i could get up two three times during a long out to dinner meal, just to move.

[Kaleva]

24. I can't relax floating on a tube in a pool.

I have to walk around in circles. Just laying there bugs me for some reason.

[seabeyond]

32. lmao..

yup.

[dreamnightwind]

18. What about sleeping?

I am wondering if/why this doesn't happen when we sleep, for hours on end with little or no movement? Just curious, really, seems like blood still needs to flow then, why don't clots form?

[Codeine]

20. Most people move a great deal more than they realize in their sleep. nt

[sakabatou]

25. Yep.

[demmiblue]

27. Also, weight is distributed over a greater surface. n/t

[socialshockwave]

22. I consider myself a lazy bastard...

but I still get out and exercise, or try to - 3 times per day.

I get up and walk around, too.

It's a sad tale but one we should all heed. Young or old.

[Arugula Latte]

23. The TV reporter David Bloom died from the same thing.

Bloom had been riding cramped up in a tank for hours.

[Shandris]

28. My roommates brother died of this at the age of 40.

His wife awoke to find him laying at the floor by the computer, simply...dead. It's hard, really, to notice how long you've been sitting still. Case in point -- between Netflix and my forums, I've been online for 9 hours today. I've gotten up 3 times. 4, as soon as I'm done with this post.

[cayanne]

29. This is what killed Kephra

If I remember correctly.

[Xithras]

30. Yes, you remember correctly.

Keph's mom came in and found him at his computer slumped over the keyboard. The autopsy found that a clot had formed in his leg from sitting too long, broke loose, and plugged his heart.

This is something that can take down even the healthiest of people. All it takes is sitting in a hard chair for a few hours without getting up.