Height may be risk factor for varicose veins

The taller you are, the more likely you are to develop varicose veins, according to a study led by Stanford University School of Medicine researchers that examined the genes of more than 400,000 people in search of clues to what causes this common but little understood condition.

"Genes that predict a person's height may be at the root of this link between height and varicose veins and may provide clues for treating the condition," said Nicholas Leeper, MD, associate professor of surgery and of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford.

The study also identified 30 genes linked to varicose vein disorder and to a strong genetic correlation with deep vein thrombosis. It will be published Sept. 24 in Circulation. Leeper and Erik Ingelsson, MD, PhD, professor of cardiovascular medicine, are the senior authors. Eri Fukaya, MD, PhD, clinical assistant professor of vascular surgery, and medical student Alyssa Flores share lead authorship.

Varicose veins are swollen, twisted veins that can be seen just under the surface of the skin, usually in the legs. More than 30 million people in the United States have varicose veins. Although the condition is often dismissed as nothing more than a cosmetic nuisance, it can cause moderate pain and has been linked to the more serious side effects of deep vein thrombosis, which occurs when a blood clot forms in one or more of the deep veins in the body.

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