Varicose Veins Linked to Greater Risk for VTE, PAD

By Kelly Young

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Lorenzo Di Francesco, MD, FACP, FHM

Varicose veins are associated with increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) and peripheral artery disease (PAD), a JAMA study finds.

Using Taiwanese healthcare claims databases, researchers matched over 200,000 patients with varicose veins to over 200,000 without varicose veins.

During a median follow-up of roughly 7 years, patients with varicose veins had higher rates of the following conditions than controls:

• Deep venous thrombosis (DVT): 6.55 vs. 1.23 per 1000 person-years

• Pulmonary embolism (PE): 0.48 vs. 0.28 per 1000 person-years

• PAD: 10.73 vs. 6.22 per 1000 person-years

The authors caution that the observed associations with PE and PAD could still be due to confounding. They note also that varicose veins are associated with inflammatory markers that could lead to DVT and other conditions.