Is there a link between body weight and varicose veins? Yes, in one sense: higher body weight is listed as a common risk factor for varicose veins. But it is only one of several, and it is not the whole story.
Varicose veins are the bulging, twisty, rope-like veins you can often see under the skin of the legs. Some people mainly dislike how they look. Others feel heavy, achy, or swollen by the end of the day.
This article looks at where weight fits among the other risk factors, what that does and does not tell you, and when it makes sense to have your legs checked. At VidaVascular, a vascular and interventional care practice, the goal is to help you understand what is behind your leg symptoms, whatever your size or shape.
What are varicose veins, and why do they happen?
Your leg veins have tiny one-way doors called valves. These valves help push blood upward against gravity. When valves weaken, blood can fall backward and pool in the vein. This is called venous reflux.
Over time, the affected vein stretches and becomes varicose. Because the trouble starts with how well the valves work, more than one thing can play a part. Weight is one of them, and it helps to see it next to the others.
Which risk factors are linked to varicose veins?
Vein care guidelines list these common risk factors:
- Family history of varicose veins
- Pregnancy
- Jobs with long hours of standing or sitting
- Aging
- Higher body weight
- Prior blood clots or vein injury (in some cases)
Several of these, such as family history, pregnancy, and aging, are simply part of your life story. They have nothing to do with willpower or lifestyle choices.
So if you have varicose veins and a higher body weight, weight may not be the only reason. And if your weight is not high, other items on this list may still be at work. Many people have more than one risk factor at the same time.
What can we say about weight, and what can we not say?
Here is what the evidence in this article supports. Higher body weight appears on the list of common risk factors for varicose veins. Weight management is also one of the supportive steps that may be recommended when it is relevant to your situation, along with compression stockings, leg elevation, and walking.
Here is what we are not going to claim. This article does not offer numbers for how much weight changes your risk. It does not say weight alone causes varicose veins. And it does not promise that changing your weight will remove varicose veins that are already there.
A risk factor is a reason to pay attention, not a verdict. If you are unsure how your own weight fits into your leg health, a conversation with a clinician is a better guide than a general rule.
Does body weight matter for spider veins too?
Spider veins are smaller and sit closer to the skin than varicose veins. They can happen for similar reasons, but they do not always mean deeper reflux is present.
The contributors listed for spider veins look a lot like the list above: family history, pregnancy and hormones, aging, long hours standing or sitting, higher body weight, and past vein injury or clot history in some cases. Spider veins often develop because of a mix of genetics and pressure in the veins over time.
Again, weight is one piece of a bigger picture. If spider veins bother you, VidaVascular also offers evaluation and treatment options such as varicose vein care and sclerotherapy, depending on what is going on.
Can weight changes help with leg vein symptoms?
Weight management is named as one of several supportive steps that may be recommended “when relevant.” The same list includes compression stockings, leg elevation, and walking. Which of these makes sense for you depends on your symptoms, your exam, and your goals.
Supportive steps are not the only tool. A vein evaluation often includes a conversation about your symptoms, a physical exam, and a duplex ultrasound. This painless test works like a live video of blood flow and can show which vein segments have reflux.
When a refluxing vein is causing symptoms, treatments such as endovenous ablation, sclerotherapy, or phlebectomy may be considered. Endovenous ablation is a minimally invasive treatment that closes a refluxing vein from the inside. The right plan is matched to the reason you have symptoms, not just to what the veins look like on the surface.
When should you see a vascular specialist?
If you have symptoms, skin changes, or swelling, varicose veins may be part of a medical condition, not just an appearance issue. You do not need to wait until it gets awful to get checked. Signs it may be more than cosmetic include:
- Aching, heaviness, throbbing, or burning in the legs
- Swelling around the ankles or lower legs
- Night cramps or restless legs
- Itching over a vein or dry, irritated skin
- Brownish skin color changes near the ankle
- A firm, tender vein that feels like a cord
- Slow-healing wounds or open sores near the ankle
A vein evaluation at VidaVascular can help you understand your options, whatever your weight. Learn more about varicose vein treatment and endovenous ablation, or browse the other conditions we evaluate.
Know the emergency signs. If you ever have sudden one-leg swelling, chest pain, or shortness of breath, that can be an emergency because it may involve a blood clot. Call 911 or seek emergency care right away.
Ready to talk through your leg symptoms? Call VidaVascular at (866) 800-2346 or request an appointment. You can be seen at our offices in Oxon Hill, MD, White Plains, MD, and Springfield, VA (see all locations). We accept most major insurance providers, so please call to confirm your plan.
References
- Gloviczki, P., Comerota, A. J., Dalsing, M. C., Eklof, B. G., Gillespie, D. L., Gloviczki, M. L., Lohr, J. M., McLafferty, R. B., Meissner, M. H., Murad, M. H., Padberg, F. T., Pappas, P. J., Passman, M. A., Raffetto, J. D., & Wakefield, T. W. (2011). The care of patients with varicose veins and associated chronic venous diseases: Clinical practice guidelines of the Society for Vascular Surgery and the American Venous Forum. Journal of Vascular Surgery, 53(5 Suppl), 2S-48S.
- Rasmussen, L. H., Lawaetz, M., Bjoern, L., Vennits, B., Blemings, A., & Eklof, B. (2011). Randomized clinical trial comparing endovenous laser ablation, radiofrequency ablation, foam sclerotherapy, and surgical stripping for great saphenous varicose veins. British Journal of Surgery, 98(8), 1079-1087.
- Wittens, C., Davies, A. H., Baekgaard, N., Broholm, R., Cavezzi, A., Chastanet, S., … & De Maeseneer, M. (2015). Editor’s Choice: Management of chronic venous disease: Clinical practice guidelines of the European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS). European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, 49(6), 678-737.
- Nakano, L. C. U., Cacione, D. G., Baptista-Silva, J. C. C., & Flumignan, R. L. G. (2021). Treatment for telangiectasias and reticular veins. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2021(10), CD012723. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012723.pub2
