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QINGDAO TODAY
在线翻译:
szdaily -> Lifestyle -> 
Watch out for varicose veins if you are tall
    2018-09-28  08:53    Shenzhen Daily

IN what researchers are calling “the largest genetic study ever performed” on varicose vein disease, a Stanford University School of Medicine study found a person’s height to be a significant risk factor for developing varicose veins.

“We not only found an association between height and varicose veins, but the genetic studies we did showed a causal link,” said cardiologist and study author Dr. Nicholas Leeper, an associate professor of surgery and cardiovascular medicine at Stanford. “That suggests that the genes and pathways that drive human height are also likely to be causing varicose veins.”

Dr. Cheryl Hoffman, medical director for the UCLA Health-Manhattan Beach Interventional and Imaging Center, singled out “the strong genetic link.”

“We know that varicose veins and venous disease are genetic, so it makes sense there might be something wrong with the vein walls that runs in families,” said Hoffman, who was not involved in the research.

Swollen, twisty purple veins that often look like tree branches just under the surface of the skin, varicose veins can cause aching pain, throbbing and discomfort.

“A lack of movement, being pregnant, overweight, all this puts pressure on the veins in the lower part of the body, and some blood begins to pool instead of traveling up the veins back to the heart,” Hoffman explained. “Varicose veins are an extension of that.”

Typically found in the legs, the unsightly protrusions are usually benign but can lead to more serious heath issues, such as bleeding, sores or ulcers and blood clots.

The most serious complication is deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, a blood clot in one or more of the deeper veins. Deep vein thrombosis is typically characterized by cramping pain, redness and swelling at the site, although it can occur with no symptoms. DVT needs immediate treatment; if one of the clots breaks loose, it can travel through the bloodstream and cause a life-threatening pulmonary embolism, or blocked blood flow in the lungs.

Treatment for varicose veins is limited to surgical interventions, such as vein catheterization or laser treatment, along with lifestyle changes such as compression stockings. Standing all day or sitting for long periods of time, such as on a plane, should also be avoided, as it can increase blood pressure inside of veins.

The researchers hope their results shed light on the underlying biology that changes in people at risk for varicose veins and allow scientists to develop new therapies.

(SD-Agencies)

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