This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Canonico, S. Articles by Rengo, F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Canonico, S. Articles by Rengo, F. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Prevalence of Varicose Veins in an Italian Elderly Population

Institute of General Surgery, Chair of Geriatric Surgery, 2nd University of Naples, Italy.

Ciro Gallo, MD

Institute of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, 2nd University of Naples, Italy.

Giuseppe Paolisso, MD

Department of Geriatric Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, 2nd University of Naples, Italy.

Fabio Pacifico, MD

Institute of General Surgery, Chair of Geriatric Surgery, 2nd University of Naples, Italy.

Giuseppe Signoriello, MD

Institute of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, 2nd University of Naples, Italy.

Guido Sciaudone, MD

Institute of General Surgery, Chair of Geriatric Surgery, 2nd University of Naples, Italy.

Nicola Ferrara, MD

Chair of Geriatric Medicine, University "Federico II" of Naples, Italy.

Vittorio Piegari, MD

Institute of General Surgery, Chair of Geriatric Surgery, 2nd University of Naples, Italy.

Michele Varricchio, MD

Department of Geriatric Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, 2nd University of Naples, Italy.

Franco Rengo, MD

Chair of Geriatric Medicine, University "Federico II" of Naples, Italy.

The prevalence of varicose veins (VV) in the elderly population of the Campania Region, in Southern Italy, was estimated. A random sample of the people aged more than 65 years was drawn by means of a stratified multistage sampling design warranting that observed percentages were direct estimates of population percentages. The investigation covered 1319 subjects, 560 (42.5%) men and 759 (57.5%) women, their ages ranging from 66 to 96 years with an average value of 74.2 years, who were interviewed and visited by trained physicians. W were defined as any reticular or truncal visible vari cosities of the lower limbs, and investigated symptoms were heaviness, pain, nightly cramps, edema, eczema, hyperpigmentation, and ulceration. Some variables were studied as risk factors: age, sex, lifetime occupation, smoking, alcohol, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity; previous treatment and use of elastic stockings were also studied. Statistical associations were evaluated by Chi-square test, a two-tailed P value of 0.05 being assumed as significance level. In total, 391 (29.6%) subjects were reported to be affected by W, but the clinical examination was positive in only 362 (27.4%) with a good corre- spondence between answers and clinical findings. Prevalence was greatly affected by sex, the percentage being two times higher in women (35.2%) than in men (17%). W developed after a pregnancy in 40.5% of women, but a high percentage of women (38.2%) also reported menopause as a time starting point. No significant association between reported risk factors and W was found among men, whereas obesity was strongly related to W in women. One or more symptoms were reported in 92.1% of persons affected by W, but no previous therapy was reported by 58.9% of subjects. Only 16.9% of patients used elastic stockings with a significant difference between men (7.4%) and women (20.2%).

Angiology, Vol. 49, No. 2, 129-135 (1998)
DOI: 10.1177/000331979804900205


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. M. Ahti, L. A. Makivaara, T. Luukkaala, M. Hakama, and J. O. Laurikka Effect of Family History on the Incidence of Varicose Veins: A Population-Based Follow-Up Study in Finland Angiology, August 1, 2009; 60(4): 487 - 491. [Abstract] [PDF]