Varicose veins of the lower limbs and venous capacitance in postmenopausal women: relationship with obesity.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to examine the association between body mass index (BMI), venous capacitance, and clinical evidence of varicose veins after adjustment for sex hormones in postmenopausal women.


METHODS
This study group of the DIANA (DIet and ANdrogens) project (a randomized controlled trial on the effect of some dietary changes on sex hormone pattern in women with elevated androgenic hormone levels in Italy) was comprised of 104 healthy volunteer postmenopausal women, aged 48 to 65 years. The main outcome measures were physical examination to determine the presence and severity of varicose veins and plethysmographic measurement of lower limb venous capacitance and outflow.


RESULTS
Women in the upper quartile of BMI (>30 kg/m(2)) showed a positive association with clinical evidence of varicose veins (odds ration, 5.8; 95% CI, 1.2 to 28.2) after adjustment for age, estradiol, testosterone, and sex hormone binding globulin. No association was found between BMI and plethysmographic measurements of venous parameters.


CONCLUSIONS
Obesity is associated with clinical evidence of varicose veins independently from the influence of sex hormones in postmenopausal women and is not associated with venous capacitance. Increased body weight increases the risk of varicose veins.
Iannuzzi
Arcangelo
A
Division of Internal Medicine, Cava de' Tirreni and Amalphitan Coast Hospital, Salerno, Italy. lelliann@libero.it
Panico
Salvatore
S
Ciardullo
Anna V
AV
Bellati
Cristina
C
Cioffi
Vincenzo
V
Iannuzzo
Gabriella
G
Celentano
Egidio
E
Berrino
Franco
F
Rubba
Paolo
P
D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010991:Plethysmography; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018924:Vascular Capacitance / Q000502:physiology*