Are Varicose Veins Related to Heart Disease?

Considering that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, claiming a life every 34 seconds, it’s understandable that any cardiovascular issue puts you on edge. If you’ve developed varicose veins and you want to know whether it’s related to, or a sign of, heart disease, allow us to put your mind at ease — the answer is, “No.”

At The Vein Institute at Upper East Side Cardiology, Dr. Satjit Bhusri and our team believe that patient education is important and a critical component of preventive health care. 

So, if you’re concerned that the appearance of varicose veins in your legs is signaling a much larger problem, we applaud your efforts to get to the bottom of the problem. With that, let’s take a closer look at varicose veins and heart disease.

Understanding your cardiovascular system

Your cardiovascular system includes your heart, as well as a huge network of blood vessels that circulate blood throughout your body. Arguably, the more important side of the circulation equation is the delivery of oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood from your lungs and heart to your body, which is accomplished by your arteries. 

Your veins are also important, but they’re responsible for returning oxygen-depleted blood back to your heart.

Heart disease, which leads to conditions such as heart attacks and strokes, primarily stems from problems in your heart and in your arteries.

Varicose veins — a venous issue

Varicose veins form when one-way valves in the veins in your legs weaken, allowing blood to spill backward and pool. This sluggish blood engorges the vein, pushing it to the surface of your skin.

The first reason why we’re not necessarily concerned about varicose veins is that they occur in the superficial veins in your legs, which are only responsible for about 10% of the blood flow back up to your heart.

As well, this circulatory issue occurs after oxygen and nutrients have already been delivered down into your lower extremities. So, varicose veins aren’t necessarily compromising your peripheral circulation.

Treating problematic varicose veins

While varicose veins may not be related to heart disease, they can still pose problems for some people. Perhaps the problem is cosmetic or maybe the veins are creating symptoms, such as itchiness or ulcers.

However you consider your varicose veins to be problematic, we’re here to help. We offer a number of vein treatments that can quickly rid your legs of these visible veins. 

To explore your varicose veins treatment options further, please call our New York City office on the Upper East Side at (212) 752-3464 to schedule a vein consultation today.