20-year-old man dies after marathon gaming sessions

By Trevor Mogg July 30, 2011

An avid Xbox gamer died from a blood clot which formed as a result of marathon gaming sessions, an autopsy has revealed.

According to the UK’s Sun newspaper, 20-year-old Brit Chris Staniforth, who had never had any serious health problems before, played on his Xbox for up to 12 hours at a time.

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The pathologist who performed the autopsy said that the clot, known as deep vein thrombosis, was the cause of Staniforth’s death.

Such clots can form in the legs or lower part of the body when a person stays in the same position for a long period of time without taking a break. For the clot to be fatal, it would have to become detached and enter the bloodstream, where it can eventually cause a blockage in the lungs. Air passengers on long-haul flights are particularly at risk if they sit in the same position for the entire journey.

Chris Staniforth’s father, David, told the Sun, “Chris lived for his Xbox. When he got into a game he could play it for hours and hours on end, sometimes 12 hours in a stretch. He got sucked in playing Halo online against people from all over the world.”

He continued: “I’m not for one minute blaming the manufacturer of Xbox. It isn’t their fault that people use them for so long. But I want to highlight the dangers that can arise.”

But let’s just take a moment to get this into perspective. Most gamers do not die from blood clots caused by playing video games for long stretches. Staniforth was extremely unlucky.

But just as passengers on long-haul flights are advised to do, it would be wise to get up and have a stretch from time to time – it’ll prevent the onset of a stiff back if nothing else.

A spokesperson for Xbox-maker Microsoft told the Sun: “We recommend gamers take breaks to exercise as well as make time for other pursuits.”

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