Seniors suffering from any type of infection are more likely to be hospitalized for dangerous blood clots in their deep veins or lungs, a new study finds.

People whose infections develop during a previous nursing home or hospital stay are up to seven times more likely to be hospitalized for such clots, according to investigators.

“We wanted to study the triggers of hospitalization to help us understand what is driving such admissions and to think about actions we can take in order to prevent these hospitalizations,” lead author Mary Rogers, Ph.D., said. The study was published in the journal Circulation.