title: Varicocele is associated with varicose veins: A population-based case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the association between patients with varicocele and varicose veins in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 2001 and 2010, comprehensive data were analyzed on the characteristics of patients with varicocele and varicose veins in Taiwan through a retrospective, nationwide, population-based study. Data were obtained from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. A total of 2727 cases with varicose veins and 10 908 randomly selected controls were included in this study. Conditional logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between varicose veins and varicocele.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of varicocele was 1.3% and 0.3% for cases (with varicose veins) and controls (without varicose vein), respectively (P < 0.001). Conditional logistic regression analysis showed that the odds ratio of being previously diagnosed with varicose veins for cases was 4.71 (95% confidence interval 2.87-7.89) when compared with controls after adjusting for age, diabetes, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, liver and kidney disease, and edema. Furthermore, the odds ratio was 5.96 (95% confidence interval 2.90-12.24), 4.76 (95% confidence interval 1.68-13.48) and 1.69 (95% confidence interval 0.30-9.55) in patients aged <50 years, 51-65 years and >65 years, respectively. In addition, the prevalence of male infertility was 15.1% for patients with varicocele and varicose veins, and 14.5% for patients with varicocele only, but no significant difference was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest an association between both varicocele and varicose veins. In addition, this association is higher in patients aged younger than 50 years. Evaluation of male patients with varicose veins for varicocele should be recommended.
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology, Taipei City Hospital Renai Branch, Taipei, Taiwan.|Department of Urology, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Wei
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology, Taipei City Hospital Renai Branch, Taipei, Taiwan.|Department of Urology, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Thomas Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Hsueh
authors.affiliation: Department of Education and Research, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.|Departmentof Public Health, Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsiao-Yun
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology, Taipei City Hospital Renai Branch, Taipei, Taiwan.|Department of Urology, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology, Taipei City Hospital Renai Branch, Taipei, Taiwan.|Department of Urology, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Saint Shiou-Sheng
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Division of Urology, Taipei City Hospital Renai Branch, Taipei, Taiwan.|Department of Urology, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Allen W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Chiu
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014646:Varicocele / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: age; infertility; prevalence; varicocele; varicose vein