Risk factors for peripheral venous disease resemble those for venous thrombosis: the San Diego Population Study.
BACKGROUND
Clinically silent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is common and may cause chronic venous disease that resembles post-thrombotic syndrome.


OBJECTIVE
We evaluated whether peripheral venous disease in a general population shares risk factors with DVT.


METHODS
In an established cohort of 2404 men and women, the San Diego Population Study, peripheral venous disease was evaluated using physical examination, symptom assessment and venous ultrasound. We performed a case-control study including 308 cases in four hierarchical groups by severity and 346 controls without venous abnormalities, frequency matched to cases by 10-year age group, race and gender. Cases and controls had no prior history of venous thrombosis. Hemostatic risk factors were measured in cases and controls.


RESULTS
Accounting for age, obesity and family history of leg ulcer, odds ratios (ORs) of venous disease for elevated factor VIII, von Willebrand factor (VWF), D-dimer and for factor V Leiden were 1.4 (95% CI 0.9-2.1), 1.5 (CI 1.0-2.3), 1.7 (CI 1.1-2.8) and 1.1 (CI 0.5-2.4), respectively. These associations were larger for the two most severe case groups; ORs 2.0 (CI 1.0-3.8), 1.7 (CI 0.9-3.3), 2.7 (CI 1.2-6.1) and 2.3 (CI 0.8-7.1). Each hemostatic factor was also associated with severity of venous disease, for example elevated D-dimer was associated with a 2.2-fold increased odds of being in one higher severity case group. Prothrombin 20210A was not associated with venous disease.


CONCLUSIONS
DVT risk factors are associated with presence and severity of peripheral venous disease. Results support a hypothesis that peripheral venous disease may sometimes be post-thrombotic syndrome as a result of a previous unrecognized DVT.
Cushman
M
M
Department of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA. mary.cushman@uvm.edu
Callas
P W
PW
Denenberg
J O
JO
Bovill
E G
EG
Criqui
M H
MH
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002140:California; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005165:Factor V / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006487:Hemostasis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011516:Prothrombin / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*
C095381:factor V Leiden; D005165:Factor V; D011516:Prothrombin