and speaking of DVTs, everyone will eat this one up:
Jesus Died Of DVT, Scientist Claims
A new theory has emerged that Jesus was one of the earliest victims of deep vein thrombosis.The potentially fatal condition, also known as pulmonary embolism, has become associated with long-distance flights as people's immobility in aeroplanes can cause blood clots.But an Israeli professor says Jesus may have died from a blood clot which reached his lungs, challenging the popular conception that he died of blood loss during his crucifixion.
Professor Benjamin Brenner, a doctor at the Rambam Medical Centre in the Israeli port city of Haifa, put forward his theory in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
He wrote: "It is known that the common cause of death in the setting of multiple trauma, immobilisation and dehydration is pulmonary embolism.
"This fits well with Jesus' condition and actually was in all likelihood the major cause of death of crucified victims."
A pulmonary embolism is caused when a blood clot develops in deep leg veins and then moves up to the lungs, causing an acute shortness of breath and chest pains.
Professor Brenner based his understanding of Jesus' condition at the time of his death on a previous work published nearly 20 years ago in the Journal of American Medical Association.
The paper found that before his crucifixion Jesus went 12 hours without food or water, was under emotional stress, was beaten and forced to walk to the crucifixion site carrying a heavy cross part of the way.
That article found that Jesus died suddenly on the cross only three to six hours after the start of the crucifixion, and concluded it was from blood loss.
A co-author of the earlier paper dismissed the new claims.
Dr William Edwards said : "Jesus was on the cross for only six hours. It seems unlikely a large deep leg vein thrombus could develop and cause fatal pulmonary embolisation in that short time."
"....on the biotech battle-field, you need some élan...."
