Epidemiology of Venous Disease

BACKGROUND:

Venous disease is commonplace, more prevalent in women, increases with age, and is a major cause of morbidity. Between 6 and 30 percent of all medical expenditures for cardiovascular disease are for venous disease. Despite these facts, the basic epidemiology of venous disease has received limited attention. Even the definition of peripheral venous disease varies widely, often confusing symptoms and signs with demonstrable pathophysiologic abnormalities.

This study provided estimates of the extent of peripheral venous disease, contributed to more efficient diagnosis, allowed insight on how to prevent or ameliorate this condition through risk factor modification, and provided quantitative estimates of the daily burden this disease imposes on patients.

DESIGN NARRATIVE:

The overall, and age, sex, and ethnic-specific, prevalence of peripheral venous disease was determined in a stratified multiethnic random sample of 2,408 men and women aged 29 to 91 years. Three specific categories of venous disease were defined including: telangiectasias and flat reticular veins; superficial venous disease without deep valvular incompetence or obstruction; deep venous disease, with valvular incompetence or obstruction. Varicose veins were typically but not invariably present in the latter two categories. These three categories were diagnosed by an ordered non-invasive evaluation, including visual inspection, with photographic documentation of abnormal findings, and duplex color sonography to diagnose valvular incompetence and venous obstruction.