PREVALENCE OF VARICOSE-VEINS IN AN ITALIAN ELDERLY POPULATION

The prevalence of varicose veins (VV) in the elderly population of the Campania Region, in Southern Italy, was estimated. A random sample of the people aged more than 65 years was drawn by means of a stratified multistage sampling design warranting that observed percentages were direct estimates of population percentages. The investigation covered 1319 subjects, 560 (42.5%) men and 759 (57.5%) women, their ages rangi ng from 66 to 96 years with an average value of 74.2 years, who were i nterviewed and visited by trained physicians. VV were defined as any r eticular or truncal visible varicosities of the lower limbs, and inves tigated symptoms were heaviness, pain, nightly cramps, edema, eczema, hyperpigmentation, and ulceration. Some variables were studied as risk factors: age, sex, lifetime occupation, smoking, alcohol, hypertensio n, diabetes, and obesity; previous treatment and use of elastic stocki ngs were also studied. Statistical associations were evaluated by Chi- square test, a two-tailed P value of 0.05 being assumed as significanc e level. In total, 391 (29.6%) subjects were reported to be affected b y VV, but the clinical examination was positive in only 362 (27.4%) wi th a good correspondence between answers and clinical findings. Preval ence was greatly affected by sex, the percentage being two times highe r in women (35.2%) than in men (17%). VV developed after a pregnancy i n 40.5% of women, but a high percentage of women (38.2%) also reported menopause as a time starting point. No significant association betwee n reported risk factors and VV was found among men, whereas obesity wa s strongly related to VV in women. One or more symptoms were reported in 92.1% of persons affected by VV, but no previous therapy was report ed by 58.9% of subjects. Only 16.9% of patients used elastic stockings with a significant difference between men (7.4%) and women (20.2%).