The effect of exercise on D-Dimer levels

Abstract

Objective: Many health care providers encounter patients with complaints of calf pain, swelling, chest pain, shortness of breath, and syncope after intense exercise. Unfortunately, these symptoms alone or in constellation could represent an underlying venous thromboembolism. A negative D-dimer can often exclude moderate-risk patients. We examined the change in D-dimer levels following strenuous exercise. Methods: In a prospective study of 42 sailors, D-dimer levels were drawn before and after a workout that simulated the standardized Navy Physical Readiness Test. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal–Wallis and Kolmogorov–Smirnov tests. Results: No significant change was found between pre- and postexercise levels. Conclusion: Findings indicate that neither level of conditioning, nor short, intense exercise affected D-dimer levels in participants who were considered extremely at low risk for thromboembolic disease. In essence, this allowed us to test the test, and therefore adds to our understanding of a screening tool used in the pursuit of a disease with significant consequence.