Understanding Your Risk Factors for Chronic Venous Insufficiency

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a vein disease that affects as many as seven million Americans. A serious condition that interferes with circulation, CVI can happen to anyone, but there are specific factors that raise a person’s risk. Are you at risk? Understanding your risk factors can help you avoid dangerous complications, including blood clots.

What is Chronic Venous Insufficiency?

Chronic venous insufficiency is the result of damage to the veins in the legs. There are valves in the veins, and these valves are responsible for moving the blood towards the heart. When the veins are damaged, these valves don’t work as they should, and it’s more difficult for the veins to circulate the blood. This can cause the blood to pool in the veins of the legs, and this creates high pressure in those veins. Symptoms can start out mild, but as the condition progresses, it can lead to serious complications.

Why Venous Disease Risk Factors Matter

Research from the Annals of Epidemiology estimates that chronic venous insufficiency impacts 40 percent of women and 17 percent of men. It isn’t life threatening, but it can cause uncomfortable symptoms, reducing the quality of life. Fortunately, there are treatment options available, and proactive lifestyle changes can help lower your risk of developing CVI.

Common Risk Factors of Venous Insufficiency

If you have a history of deep vein thrombosis, you are at a significantly higher risk of CVI than the average person/ Additionally, if you have had a leg injury or surgery that interrupted the circulation in your legs, this also raises your risk. However, there are several other risk factors that are more common. These include:

• Age: People over the age of 50 are at higher risk of CVI, because veins become weaker after years of wear and tear. The risk of other cardiovascular issues, including high blood pressure, also increase with age.
• Gender: Women are more prone to CVI than men. This is because they have more hormonal fluctuations than men, and higher levels of estrogen.
• Lack of Exercise: A sedentary lifestyle leads to weaker leg muscles, and when your leg muscles are weak, it impairs your circulation.
• Excess Weight: Being overweight or obese puts strain on your vascular system, and this can lead to weakened veins. What’s more, obesity raises the risk of other conditions, like hypertension, which can negatively impact vein health.
• Hormonal Changes: Using hormonal products like birth control and hormone replacement therapy can increase your risk of vein issues, as can pregnancy.
• Smoking: Chemicals in tobacco products cause inflammation inside the blood vessels, and this can increase the risk of CVI. In addition to weakening the veins, smoking is also detrimental to overall cardiovascular health.
• Genetics: People with a family history of varicose veins or CVI are at higher risk of developing these conditions.

How to Reduce Your Risk: CVI Prevention Tips

One of the easiest ways to reduce your risk of CVI is to stop smoking, or not to start in the first place. Eating a heart-healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight can also help. Doctors recommend avoiding long periods of sitting or standing and not wearing restrictive clothing like girdles. On the other hand, compression socks and stockings are recommended, to alleviate swelling and soreness in the legs while promoting good circulation. Talk to your doctor about steps you should take to reduce your risk of CVI, and potentially helpful treatments if you have already developed the condition.

FAQs:

• • What are the main risk factors for poor vascular health and venous insufficiency?
    A family history of poor vascular health, a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, smoking, and genetics all come into play. The most common cause of CVI is deep vein thrombosis, in which a blood clot damages a vein in the leg.
  • Does family history increase my risk of CVI?
    Yes, certain genes are associated with weaker valves in the veins. If people in your family are prone to varicose veins or CVI, you are at a higher risk of developing these conditions.
  • Is obesity one of the top chronic venous insufficiency causes?
    Yes, obesity can contribute significantly to the risk of CVI, because of the strain excess weight puts on the cardiovascular system.
  • How does pregnancy affect vein health?
    Pregnancy impacts vein health in several ways. First, the hormonal fluctuations of pregnancy elevate a person’s risk, then the excess weight puts a strain on the veins. Finally, the increased blood volume of pregnancy adds another level of pressure.
  • What lifestyle changes help prevent CVI?
    Stopping smoking, eating a nutritious diet, getting exercise, and avoiding sitting or standing for long stretches can all help reduce your risk of CVI. Additionally, doctors recommend compression therapy to relieve swelling and discomfort in the legs.

Why Choose Cardiac Solutions?

If you believe you are at risk for chronic venous insufficiency, it’s important to seek the help of an experienced cardiologist to assess your risk and discuss preventive measures or treatment options. At Cardiac Solutions, our innovative team of cardiologists delivers comprehensive cardiovascular care, addressing our patients’ medical concerns holistically and compassionately, through a personalized, team-oriented approach. Focusing on prevention, we provide education for our patients at our nurse-directed clinics, with a goal of halting the advancement of cardiovascular disease and reduce the need for surgical procedures. We are dedicated to providing patient-centered care through teamwork, honesty, integrity, and a commitment to putting treatment and care first and promoting wellness through innovative technology. Our practice began as a physician-owned facility, in 1984, and from there we have grown to include clinics in multiple cities, each with a sterling reputation for excellence in cardiovascular care. Because we recognize that every patient is different, we provide personalized treatment plans, and our board-certified cardiologists prioritize patient care. If you are seeking cardiac care in Peoria, Sun City West, Glendale, Sun City, Litchfield, Phoenix, Avondale, or Wickenburg, you can trust that when you contact Cardiac Solutions, you put your heart in good hands.