Study: older adults may be more prone to varicose veins

(Reuters) – A large genetic study has shown that height makes it more likely to develop varicose veins or varicose veins.

Varicose veins are swollen and twisted veins visible directly under the skin, usually in the legs. More than 30 million people in the United States suffer from varicose veins.

Although this condition is often described as simply irritating to the aesthetic aspect, it can cause moderate pain and has been associated with a more serious side effect, namely deep vein thrombosis, ie deep vein blood clots. from the body.

In this study, researchers analyzed data from about 500,000 people who participated in the long-term study conducted by the British biobank, looking for characteristics associated with the risk of varicose veins, which led to their size as a powerful risk factor.

The researchers then conducted a large genetic survey of hundreds of thousands of people and identified 30 genes, many of which contribute to skeletal and blood vessel growth, indicating that height could be a direct cause of varicose veins.

"We do not yet know why size is such a powerful risk factor for varicose veins," said study author Nicholas Lipper of Stanford University in California.

"It may be a simple matter of blood circulation and severity," he said in an email, "it takes a lot of pressure in their veins to grow and develop."

"On the other hand, our strong genetic studies have shown that pitch is not only related to the disease but seems to be the cause, which is very different because the genes that control human length can play a role in the structure and integrity of the veins, "he said.

The study confirmed that leg surgery, family history, lack of movement, smoking and hormone therapy are all risk factors that can also cause varicose veins.