The Impact of Physical Activity on Venous Thromboembolism

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), which consists of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is one of the most common cardiovascular diseases. Despite improvements in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, its mortality rates are still high and remain a major problem in public health. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults (aged 18–64 years) engage in at least 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week. Prolonged sedentary behavior contributes to increased venous compression in the lower extremities, leading to reduced venous return and an elevated risk of VTE. Many studies have observed a risk increase of up to 2-10% per additional hour of prolonged sitting. In the literature, a positive correlation was found between higher levels of PA and reduced risk of VTE, indicating a significant reduction in risk for those with higher levels of PA, even at levels below norms established by the WHO. However, some research indicates that the highest level of physical exertion—defined as regularly engaging in hard physical training (i.e., vigorous exercise or participation in competitive sports several times per week)—was associated with a twofold increased risk of first-time VTE. The aim of this review is to provide a general overview of the impact of physical activity on venous thromboembolism. Material and method: A review of available literature from the PubMed database from 2005 to 2024.