Office workers risk being struck down by deep vein thrombosis if they sit at their computer screens for long periods without a break, health experts said yesterday.

The warning came as it emerged that a computer programmer from Bristol almost died after a 12-hour stint in front of his screen in what is believed to be one of the first cases in the UK of a growing phenomenon dubbed e-thrombosis.

Spending all day at your desk and most of the evening in front of a computer could kill you, doctors warned yesterday.

They have identified a new form of deep vein thrombosis called e-thrombosis, which can cause fatal blood clots.

The association between immobility with prolonged sitting and venous thromboembolism has been recognised for >60 yrs, most recently with long distance air travel. The case of a 32-yr-old male, in whom immobility associated with sitting for long periods at a computer represented the major provoking risk factor for his life-threatening venous thromboembolism, is presented. The authors propose the term "eThrombosis" to describe this 21st Century variant of venous thromboembolism associated with immobility from prolonged sitting. In view of the widespread use of computers in relation to work, recreation and personal communication, the potential burden of eThrombosis may be considerable.