Risk factors

There are a host of factors that contribute to the development of varicose veins, spider veins, and other forms of vein disease. Although vein doctors in Bergen County may not be able to tell you with complete certainty what caused your vein disease, they can identify certain risk factors that increase your likelihood of developing it. These risk factors are generally divided into two categories – risk factors that are non-modifiable and that you can’t do anything about, and risk factors that are more within your control.

The most important non-modifiable risk factor for vein disease is heredity – over 50% of patients with varicose veins have one or more parents who had them. The next most important risk factors are age and gender. You are more likely to develop vein disease if you are over 50 years of age, and (for hormonal reasons) you are more likely to develop it if you are female. Another risk factor related to gender is pregnancy, which increases a woman’s vein disease risk in two ways – through hormonal changes, and by increasing the overall volume of blood in the body.

In the category of modifiable risk factors – those you can do something about to prevent vein disease – at the top of the list is being overweight or obese. This places a greater strain on the circulatory system, so if you know that you already exhibit some of the risk factors discussed above, you should do whatever you can to maintain a healthy weight.

Vein Disease - Risk Factors from PARAMOUNT MD on Vimeo.