What is the link between Venous Insufficiency and Heart Health?

February is American Heart Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about heart health and preventing cardiovascular diseases. While most people are aware of common risk factors like high blood pressure, cholesterol, and smoking, there’s one often overlooked connection that deserves attention: the relationship between venous insufficiency and heart health.

What is Venous Insufficiency?

Venous insufficiency occurs when valves in veins are weakened or malfunction and have difficulty pumping blood back up to the heart from the lower extremities or legs. This extra pressure put on veins and arteries that is associated with venous insufficiency can lead to common vascular conditions like varicose veins which then can tax the circulatory system, and potentially even the heart.

The Venous Insufficiency and Heart Health Connection

Research indicates that those who have varicose veins are more likely to develop heart issues than those who don’t.

Although they are not mutually exclusive, heart disease and venous insufficiency/varicose veins share many of the same risk factors including:

• High blood pressure
• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Advanced age
• Sedentary lifestyle

In addition to varicose veins and heart disease, having one or more of these risk factors can also result in other serious conditions like non-healing leg ulcers and deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Vein Health Tips

Here are some tips that our vein experts recommend to ensure both a healthy heart and healthy veins:

• Eat a well-balanced diet
• Get plenty of exercise and physical activity
• Stay hydrated
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Manage conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes
• Wear compression stockings to boost circulation

Because our specialists at VeinSolutions are board-certified vascular surgeons, they are able to find the root cause of your venous insufficiency while evaluating your heart health and treating those issues therapeutically in a way that enhances the overall look and feel of your legs.

If you have risk factors that contribute to venous insufficiency or experience signs of varicose veins, please contact us for a consultation. We offer many treatments conveniently in our clinic on an outpatient basis for varicose vein removal and to suit your personal needs.

Contact VeinSolutions for Your Consultation Today

Our board-certified vascular surgeons and vein specialists are skilled in both cosmetic and therapeutic treatments for varicose veins while dedicated to enhancing your overall circulatory health.

To schedule an appointment with a vein specialist in Austin, please contact us here or call 512.452.VEIN (8346), or 512.501.4287 for our clinic in Georgetown, and 512.651.8420 for Kyle.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram.