Varicose Veins
What Increases Your Risk
Factors that increase your risk of developing varicose veins include:
- Reference Pregnancy (particularly repeated pregnancies).
- Being female.
- Advancing age.
- Being overweight (tends to be a stronger factor in women). Having low muscle mass and high body fat decreases the support for the veins.
- Family history of varicose veins.
- Prolonged sitting or standing.
- Conditions that increase pressure in the abdomen, such as liver disease, fluid in the abdomen, previous groin surgery, or heart failure.
- Injury to the veins.
- Blood clots.
| By: | Reference Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: Reference August 17, 2012 |
| Medical Review: | Reference E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Reference David A. Szalay, MD - Vascular Surgery |
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