Epidemiology of chronic venous disease

2008 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 103-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Robertson ◽  
C Evans ◽  
F G R Fowkes

Chronic venous disease of the legs occurs commonly in the general population in the Western world. Estimates of the prevalence of varicose veins vary widely from 2–56% in men and from 1–60% in women. These variations reflect differences in variability of study populations including age, race and gender, methods of measurement and disease definition. Definitions of chronic venous disease may rely on reports of varicose veins by study participants, based on self-diagnosis or recall of a diagnosis, or on a standardized physical examination. Venous ulceration is less common, affecting approximately 0.3% of the adult population. Age and pregnancy have been established as risk factors for developing varicose veins. Evidence on other risk factors for venous disease is inconclusive. Prolonged standing has been proposed, but results of studies should be interpreted with caution given the difficulty in measuring levels of posture. Obesity has been suggested as a risk factor in women, but appears to be an aggravating factor rather than a primary cause. Other postulated risk factors include dietary intake and smoking, but evidence is lacking. Longitudinal studies using standardized methods of evaluation are required before the true incidence of chronic venous disease and associated risk factors can be determined.

ESC CardioMed ◽  
2018 ◽  
pp. 2805-2806
Author(s):  
Eberhard Rabe ◽  
Felizitas Pannier

Chronic venous diseases are frequent pathologies in the general population. The most common chronic venous pathologies are varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency including post-thrombotic syndrome. In the general adult population, varicose veins are present in up to 25% of people with an increasing prevalence with age. Risk factors include advanced age, genetic predisposition, female sex, and multiparity. The term chronic venous insufficiency summarizes the clinical signs of chronic venous disease with oedema, skin changes, or venous ulcers. More than 15% of the population is affected by chronic venous insufficiency. Risk factors include advanced age, obesity, and prolonged sitting.


Angiology ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 52 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. S5-S15 ◽  
Author(s):  
F.G.R. Fowkes ◽  
C.J. Evans ◽  
A.J. Lee

Venous disease in the legs occurs very commonly in the general population in Western countries. Around one third of women have trunk varices. A lower prevalence has been observed in men but some recent surveys have suggested that the occurrence in men may be comparable to that in women. The prevalence increases with age but the incidence of new cases appears to be constant throughout adult life. Open venous ulcers occur in about 0.3% of the adult population and a history of open or healed ulceration occurs in around 1%. The etiology of chronic venous disease in the legs is unknown. A genetic predisposition may be present but evidence for this and for a mode of inheritance is lacking. There is some suggestion that prolonged standing may be a risk factor but studies are open to considerable bias. In women, obesity and previous pregnancy has been associated with the presence of varicose veins but the evidence is inconsistent. There have been few well-conducted studies examining diet and bowel habit as a risk factor. The risk of ulceration is related to the severity of varicosities and venous insufficiency, and is increased following deep vein thrombosis. Much further research is required to investigate the cause of this common condition in the general population.


2020 ◽  
pp. 026835552095719
Author(s):  
Prashant Jain ◽  
Ajay Savlania ◽  
Arunanshu Behera ◽  
Ujjwal Gorsi

Objectives To determine the distribution patterns of pathological venous reflux and risk factors in patients with skin changes due to primary venous disease. Methods Two hundred limbs belonging to C4, C5 & C6 classes were examined with duplex ultrasound to determine the sites of reflux. We also analyzed the correlation of risk factors with patterns and severity of disease. Results Among 200 limbs, superficial system reflux was found in 163 limbs (81.5%), deep system reflux in 10 limbs (5%) and perforator system reflux in 180 limbs (90%). The most common pattern of abnormality was combined superficial and perforator system reflux. Of all the risk factors, prolonged standing, obesity and in the female history of pregnancy preceding varicose occurrence had the highest prevalence. Conclusions In patients with primary chronic venous disease, lifestyle modification is required to avoid risk associated with obesity and prolonged standing. The higher prevalence of pathological perforator reflux in association with advanced venous disease necessitates careful treatment of this least reported pathology to achieve better treatment results.


2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 184-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Dimakakos ◽  
K Syrigos ◽  
E Scliros ◽  
I Karaitianos

Introduction Chronic venous disease (CVD) is a common disease all over the world, mainly in Western Europe and the USA. Aim To evaluate the prevalence of CVD in the Greek general population and the characteristics of CVD. Materials and methods The study sample included 1500 individuals, 15–64 years of age, who were citizens of Athens, Thessaloniki, or one of five Greek cities with more than 10,000 in the population. The sample was selected by a stratified, multistage, random sampling procedure based on the Greek Census 2001. Questionnaires were completed for each individual by personal interview. Results From 1500 individuals, 224 (14.9%) had symptoms and/or signs of CVD, 9.6% were men and 20.1% were women. The highest percentage of presenting CVD symptoms was among 45–54-year-olds (23.4%) and 55–64-year-olds (27%). The symptoms that were mostly mentioned among sufferers were 58% achy legs, 37.4% swollen legs and 25.3% heavy legs, whereas the frequent signs were broken capillaries – telangiectasia (19.2%) and varicose veins (14.8%). About 62.9% with CVD had an obese body mass index (BMI > 25). The prevalence of CVD in patients with prolonged standing hours at work (4+ hours) was 20.8%. The symptoms of CVD were worse during the summer period only in 26.8% of the patients whereas in 50.8% during all the year. Regarding quality of life, more than 40% of the patients had either health or cosmetic problems. Sufferers mentioned that they took first advice from physicians (28%), or from friends and relatives (27%) or from pharmacists (26%). Conclusion This is a real whole-population study of Greece – a Mediterranean country that provides important and remarkable data on the epidemiology of CVD and highlights that we need improvement of relations within the triangle constituted by physicians, patients and disease.


2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 77-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
I Bihari ◽  
L Tornoci ◽  
P Bihari

Objective To analyse the prevalence and risk factors of varicose veins and chronic venous disease in Budapest. Method Data were collected using a questionnaire, as well as by performing physical and Doppler ultrasound examination of 566 adult inhabitants of Budapest and some neighbouring villages. Results The prevalence of lower-extremity varicose veins was 57.1% in the study population. Verified risk factors include advancing age, pregnancy, jobs requiring a lot of standing, blue-collar work and excess body weight. Neither female gender nor the use of oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy was identified as a contributing factor. Conclusion Hungarian prevalence data and risk factors seem to be similar to other European countries.


2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 74-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Onida ◽  
Alun Huw Davies

Chronic venous disease is a common condition with clinical signs and symptoms ranging from spider veins, to varicose veins, to active venous ulceration. Both superficial and deep venous dysfunction may be implicated in the development of this disease. Socio-economic factors are shaping our population, with increasing age and body mass index resulting in significant pressure on healthcare systems worldwide. These risk factors also lead to an increased risk of developing superficial and/or deep venous insufficiency, increasing disease prevalence and morbidity. In this chapter, the authors review the current and future burden of chronic venous disease from an epidemiological, quality of life and economic perspective.


2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasmin Grant ◽  
Sarah Onida ◽  
Alun Davies

Chronic venous disease is highly prevalent in the Western world, with varicose veins being the most common form of clinical manifestation. With recent developments in sequencing technology, clinicians and geneticists alike are embarking on a journey to identify and unravel the genetic candidates of chronic venous disease. There is now currently substantial evidence to suggest the presence of genetic influences in the aetiology and pathology of venous disease. Despite this, the precise nature and profile of the genes involved in chronic venous disease remain a poorly understood entity. Moreover, it is strikingly apparent that the majority of venous genetic studies conducted over the past decade do not adhere to fundamental research principles. The emergence of high-throughput genotyping platforms permits a more systematic search for inherited components of venous disease. Pursuing a genome-wide frontier has the potential to reveal novel critical metabolic pathways and explain the genetic susceptibility of chronic venous disease. An expedited knowledge of the genetic factors in the aetiology of venous disease may translate into better prevention or treatment, which would benefit patients suffering from its clinical sequelae. Researchers should be urged to foster collaborative links and design a genome-wide case-control association study as an international consortium to provide a statistically robust paradigm in the field of chronic venous disease genetics. This will carry promise for clinically relevant progress and represent a first step towards better understanding of the genetics of chronic venous disease aetiology.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mr. Abhimanyu Sharma sharma ◽  
Dr. Rajendra Prasad Sharma sharma ◽  
Dr. Rajendra Prasad Sharma sharma

Many factors predispose human beings to a disease of the lower extremities, and this condition affects approximately eighty million Americans. Itsmanifestations may appear to be little more than a cosmetic nuisance, yet it may be an indication of a more serious underlying problem undetected by visual inspection. Venous disease is also capable of producing a plethora of uncomfortable symptoms, and left untreated, may progress to cutaneous pigmentation, dermatitis, ulceration, haemorrhage, or superficial thrombophlebitis. Although uncomplicated cases of the disease are more common, venous disease should not be taken lightly. Steps to retard disease expression and progression should be implemented whenever possible. As blood rushes through our legs the veins send it back to the heart. In case of prolonged standing, due to force of gravity the veins lose their ability to push the blood upwards, causing the blood to settle down in certain areas of the veins. Varicose veins are tortuous, distended and bulging vein s (varicosities) beneath the skin of the legs. They are most often swollen and gnarled veins that most frequently occur in the legs, ankles and feet. Even though the exact cause of varicose veins is unknown, there are some risk factors which contribute to development of this problem. Some of the risk factors are, low physical activity, smoking, family heredity of varicose veins, congenital valve or vein wall defects, valve damage from trauma, obstruction, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or inflammation, chronic venous distention associated with occupations requiring prolonged standing, obesity or pregnancy, systemic conditions that interfere with venous return and loss of vein wall elasticity with ageing.


VASA ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 88-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larissa Pfisterer ◽  
Gerd König ◽  
Markus Hecker ◽  
Thomas Korff

The development of varicose veins or chronic venous insufficiency is preceded by and associated with the pathophysiological remodelling of the venous wall. Recent work suggests that an increase in venous filling pressure is sufficient to promote varicose remodelling of veins by augmenting wall stress and activating venous endothelial and smooth muscle cells. In line with this, known risk factors such as prolonged standing or an obesity-induced increase in venous filling pressure may contribute to varicosis. This review focuses on biomechanically mediated mechanisms such as an increase in wall stress caused by venous hypertension or alterations in blood flow, which may be involved in the onset of varicose vein development. Finally, possible therapeutic options to counteract or delay the progress of this venous disease are discussed.


Angiology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (9) ◽  
pp. 779-785 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc E. Vuylsteke ◽  
Roos Colman ◽  
Sarah Thomis ◽  
Geneviève Guillaume ◽  
Damien Van Quickenborne ◽  
...  

This study measured the prevalence of chronic venous disease (CVD, C1-C6), chronic venous insufficiency (C3-C6) in 23 countries. The possible influence of risk factors was assessed. Patient recruitment was carried out by general practitioners. Patient characteristics, prevalence of risk factors, and C-classification were recorded. We assessed differences in prevalence and risk factors between Asia (A), Eastern Europe (EE), Latin America (LA), and Western Europe (WE). A total of 99 359 patients were included. The prevalence of CVD (51.9% A, 70.18% EE, 68.11% LA, and 61.65% WE) was significantly ( P < .001) lower in A. Risk factors such as age, obesity, smoking, having regular exercise, use of birth control pills, prolonged standing and sitting, and having a positive family history differ significantly between regions. After model-based probabilities corrected for risk factors, significant differences in the probability of having CVD were only found in the older age-group (>65 years). The lowest prevalence was noted in A. Chronic venous disease is very common and the prevalence varies between different geographical areas. After correcting for risk factors, these differences diminished.


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