Varicose Veins Are Linked to Thrombosis Risk

Individuals with varicose veins have a significantly increased risk of incident deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and peripheral artery disease (PAD), according to a new study.

From January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2013, the researchers identified 212,984 participants with varicose veins aged 20 years old and older, along with 212,984 propensity score-matched controls, from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Program. Follow-up lasted until December 31, 2014.
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The incidence of DVT, pulmonary embolism (PE), and PAD was assessed in participants with varicose veins and controls. Relative hazards were estimated via Cox proportional hazards models.

Findings revealed that participants with varicose veins had a higher incidence of DVT (10,360 vs 1980 cases), PE (793 vs 451 cases), and PAD (16,615 vs 9709) compared with controls. Hazard ratios for participants with varicose veins vs controls were 5.30, 1.73, and 1.72 for DVT, PE, and PAD, respectively.

“Among adults diagnosed with varicose veins, there was a significantly increased risk of incident DVT; the findings for PE and PAD are less clear due to the potential for confounding,” the researchers concluded. “Whether the association between varicose veins and DVT is causal or represents a common set of risk factors requires further research.”

—Christina Vogt

Reference:

Chang SL, Huang YL, Lee MC. Association of varicose veins with incident venous thromboembolism and peripheral artery disease. JAMA. 2018;319(8):807-817. doi: 10.1001/jama.2018.0246.