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To the Editor: Long airplane flights may be a risk factor for pulmonary embolism,^1-2 which may be due in part to mild dehydration from insufficient fluid intake, consumption of diuretic beverages, and low ambient humidity.³ Increased blood viscosity (BV) on long flights also may be associated with dehydration-related hypovolemia, as well as venous stasis from long periods of sitting. Both processes could increase the risk for thrombosis.³ In a simulation of a long airplane flight, the reduction of plasma volume (PV) observed during 10 hours of confinement in a chamber was attenuated by an intake of isotonic-electrolyte solution.⁴ A combination of electrolytes and carbohydrates could further enhance hydration in this situation.⁵ We tested the hypothesis that a beverage containing electrolytes and carbohydrates (ECB) would be more effective at maintaining hydration and BV than water alone on a long-distance international flight.

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Forty healthy men (mean age, 23.4 years; weight, 61.3 kg; . . . [Full Text of this Article]