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Arterial disease but not hypertension predisposes to varicose veins

L A Mäkivaara1, T M Ahti, T Luukkaala

  • 1School of Public Health, 33014 University of Tampere, Finland. liisa.makivaara@uta.fi

Phlebology
|May 10, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Individuals with arterial disease (AD) face a higher risk of developing varicose veins (VV). Hypertension does not appear to significantly increase VV risk. This study highlights AD as a key risk factor for VV.

Area of Science:

  • Vascular Medicine
  • Epidemiology
  • Cardiovascular Health

Background:

  • Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) encompass conditions like arterial disease (AD) and hypertension.
  • Varicose veins (VV) are a common vascular condition with multifactorial causes.
  • The relationship between specific CVDs and VV risk requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between CVD (specifically AD and hypertension) and the risk of developing varicose veins (VV).
  • To compare the prevalence and incidence of VV in individuals with and without AD or hypertension.

Main Methods:

  • A population-based study involving 4903 participants aged 40, 50, and 60 years in Tampere, Finland.
  • Validated questionnaires were used to assess VV prevalence and incidence over a five-year follow-up period.
  • Analysis focused on new VV occurrences in individuals without pre-existing VV (n=3065).

Main Results:

  • A higher prevalence of VV was observed in individuals with CVD (OR 1.3).
  • Arterial disease (AD) was associated with increased VV prevalence (OR 1.7) and incidence (IOR 1.4, significant in women).
  • Hypertension showed no significant association with increased VV prevalence (OR 1.1) or incidence (IOR 1.1).

Conclusions:

  • Arterial disease (AD) presents a significant additional risk factor for varicose veins (VV).
  • Hypertension does not appear to confer a substantial additional risk for VV development.
  • These findings emphasize the importance of considering arterial health in VV risk assessment.
Abstract

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