Lifestyle factors and varicose veins: does cross-sectional design result in underestimate of the risk?
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether smoking, alcohol drinking and dietary factors are linked with varicose veins.


METHODS
A middle-aged general population of 4903 was studied, and prevalence rates at entry and five-year incidence of varicose veins were assessed. Lifestyle habits were recorded at entry and at the end of the follow-up.


RESULTS
New varicose veins were significantly more common in individuals with regular alcohol intake, incidence odds ratio (OR) 1.5 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-2.3) in a multivariate analysis (of 2202 individuals). The association was particularly strong in women. Smokers had a higher incidence of varicose veins compared with non-smokers, OR 1.3 (95% CI: 0.9-1.8), but without statistical significance. Having daily meals of meat implied less new varicose veins than having 0-2 weekly meals of meat.


CONCLUSIONS
Alcohol was likely to increase the risk of varicose veins in women and smoking in both genders. These findings were seen in the follow-up design, but not when the data of these risk factors were compared with varicose veins prevalent at entry.
Ahti
T M
TM
Tampere School of Public Health, University of Tampere, Tampere 33014, Finland. tiina.jukkola@uta.fi
Mäkivaara
L A
LA
Luukkaala
T
T
Hakama
M
M
Laurikka
J O
JO
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000453:epidemiology*