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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffThese factors increase your risk of developing varicose veins:
- Your age. Varicose veins occur most often in people ages 30 to 70, with your risk increasing as you age. Aging causes wear and tear on the valves in your veins that help regulate blood flow. Eventually, that wear causes the valves to allow blood to flow back into your veins where it collects instead of flowing up to your heart.
- Your sex. Women are more likely to develop the condition. Hormonal changes during pregnancy, premenstruation or menopause may be a factor. Female hormones tend to relax vein walls. Taking hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills may increase your risk of varicose veins.
- Genetics. If other family members had varicose veins, there's a greater chance you will too.
- Obesity. Being overweight puts added pressure on your veins.
- Standing for long periods of time. Your blood doesn't flow as well if you're in the same position for long periods.
References
- Varicose veins. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/vv/vv_all.html. Accessed Dec. 8, 2008.
- Greenberg DL. Varicose veins of the leg. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 10, 2008.
- Beebe-Dimmer JL, et al. The epidemiology of chronic venous insufficiency and varicose veins. Annals of Epidemiology. 2005;15:175.
- Varicose veins and venous insufficiency. Society of Interventional Radiology. http://www.sirweb.org/patients/varicose-veins/. Accessed Dec. 10, 2008.
- Spider vein, varicose vein therapy. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/cosmetic_spider.html. Accessed Dec. 8, 2008.
- Horse chestnut. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed Dec. 8, 2008.
