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Many health issues are associated with obesity, which affects more than 40% of adults in the United States, and we can include varicose veins in this group. Although varicose veins can affect people of all shapes and sizes, being obese is both a direct and an indirect influence that can greatly increase your chances of developing these veins.
To explain this connection, we turn to the team of vascular experts at The Upper East Side Vein Institute, led by board-certified cardiologist Dr. Satjit Bhusri. As specialists in varicose veins, we have a good grasp of the role that obesity can play in their development, and we want to share that information with you here.
The effect of obesity on your cardiovascular system
When you are obese, the extra weight can damage your blood vessels in several ways. Just on the surface, your cardiovascular system has to work harder to pump more blood to your body, which can stress your heart and your blood vessels.
Being obese also creates metabolic changes that lead to system-wide inflammation that can damage blood vessels. This inflammation, along with fatty buildup in your arteries, can increase your blood pressure and weaken your blood vessels.
The result of all this is that obesity can set the stage for cardiovascular disease, and varicose veins are part of this.
Varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency (CVI)
One of the cardiovascular diseases that often develops in people with obesity is chronic venous insufficiency, which affects between 10% and 35% of adults in the US. Under normal circumstances, the veins in your legs rely on small valves that open and close as blood passes through to prevent it from spilling backward.
When you have CVI, these valves weaken and malfunction, and blood can stall in your legs as a result. When blood accumulates, the internal pressure of the superficial blood vessel sends blood to the surface of your skin in a varicose vein.
As a result, we often view varicose veins as a clear warning sign of CVI.
Tackling varicose veins and obesity for better health
The good news is that we have great solutions for both issues. At our Vein Institute, we offer a wide range of varicose vein treatments that are quick, easy, and effective. These sclerotherapy treatments shut down varicose veins for good, pushing blood to healthier vessels.
Aside from our Vein Institute, our umbrella practice, Upper East Cardiology, offers a Wellness Center with weight loss as its mission. With GLP-1 weight-loss medications, we're helping patients shed unhealthy pounds and improve their cardiovascular health, which includes CVI and varicose veins.
To learn more about either service — varicose vein treatments and/or weight loss — you can start by calling our New York City office on the Upper East Side of Manhattan at 212-752-3464. You can also schedule your appointment online by clicking here.