Original articles   

International Angiology 2009 December;28(6):452-7

Copyright © 2010 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

The risk of congestive heart failure is increased in persons with varicose veins

Mäkivaara L. A. ¹, Ahti T. M. ¹, Luukkaala T. ^{1, 2}, Hakama M. ¹, Laurikka J. O. ³ ✉

¹ University of Tampere, Tampere School of Public Health, Tampere, Finland; ² Science Center, Pirkanmaa Hospital District, Tampere, Finland; ³ Heart Center, Pirkanmaa Hospital District, Tampere, Finland

AIM: Varicose veins are a common condition but their etiology and relationship with other cardiovascular diseases are not well established. The aim of the study was to find out if persons with varicose veins have a higher risk of congestive heart failure (CHF) than persons without varicose veins.
METHODS. The prevalence of CHF at entry and the incidence of CHF during a five-year follow-up period were studied in persons with and without varicose veins. A study was conducted with a questionnaire in a population of 4 903 middle-aged residents in Tampere, Finland.
RESULTS: Marginally higher prevalence of CHF was found in persons with varicose veins than in those without (2.9% vs. 1.9%) with OR 1.6 (1.0-2.3) and sex and age adjusted OR 1.2 (0.8-1.9). The incidence of CHF was higher in subjects with varicose veins than in others (4.9 vs. 2.6 per 1000 person-years) with IDR 1.9 (1.1-2.9) and sex and age adjusted IOR 2.5 (1.4-4.6). The result was further adjusted for body mass index, arterial disease and hypertension; multi-adjusted IOR for the incidence of CHF by varicose veins was 2.1 (1.1-4.0).
CONCLUSIONS: Our longitudinal observation is consistent with the hypothesis that persons with varicose veins have a higher risk of CHF which is not mediated through sex, age, overweight, arterial disease or hypertension.