When news hit late last week that former American Idol finalist Michael Johns had died at age 35, fans of the singer-songwriter were shocked. And while the official cause of death is still pending, TMZ has reported it to be something totally out of the blue: a blood clot that had formed in his ankle. According to TMZ, Johns had been feeling pain in his foot, and he experienced bruising and swelling all the way up his leg. He sought medical attention, but doctors discovered nothing wrong and sent him home. The next afternoon, he was found at a friend's apartment unresponsive, reported TMZ.
While fans wait for official word from the medical examiner, we asked an M.D. to give us more details on the kind of clot that may have ended Johns' life. "Blood clots that form in the legs are called deep vein thrombosis, or DVT's," explains Holly Phillips, MD, a New York City internist and medical contributor for CBS News. "They can become lethal when they are dislodged from the veins in the legs and travel through the circulatory system to the lungs." Once in the lungs, a clot can block pulmonary arteries, causing something called a pulmonary embolism that prevents the flow of oxygen to the body. If that happens, a person’s life is in immediate danger.
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Scary stuff, but is it something to worry about—or a freak occurrence? According to Phillips, it may be more common than you think, but there are several factors that we know can increase your risk. "Pulmonary embolism is relatively common, affecting more than 400,000 a year," says Phillips. "Most at risk are the elderly, but I have had several young women in my practice with the condition." It can be triggered by long periods of sitting, for example, by being on a cross-country flight. Other risk factors include smoking (which increases clotting in general) and being on the Pill, as the estrogen in most oral contraceptives is thought to boost the risk of developing a blood clot. And surprisingly, your risk of developing a clot is even higher during and right after pregnancy, according to ob-gyn Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., clinical professor at Yale University School of Medicine.
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Aside from quitting smoking and staying active (plus getting up to stretch or walk around every hour to prevent clots from forming in your legs in the first place), there may not be much you can do to avoid developing a DVT. The key is to pay attention to warning signs, such as pain and/or swelling in your leg—as Johns supposedly had. If these strike, seek medical attention, and let the doctor know if you have any of the potential blood clot risk factors, so she is more likely to suspect DVT and treat it before it can move to the lungs. "Signs of a pulmonary embolism are chest pain, palpitations, coughing, and dizziness," adds Phillips. These are symptoms that warrant a trip to the ER, where doctors can diagnose you and then give you blood thinners and oxygen to save your life.
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