Prevalence of Varicose Veins Among Nurses at Different Departments in a Single Tertiary Care Center in Riyadh

Replication study identified EFEMP1 association with varicose vein predisposition among Indians

BACKGROUND

Varicose vein is a chronic condition that affects the lower extremities of the human body. Several factors have been implicated in the development of this disease, viz age, gender, weight, height and prolonged standing. Recently, genome-wide studies have identified genetic biomarkers that are associated with varicose veins in different ethnic groups. Such genetic studies are lacking in South Asians specifically in Indians where the prevalence of varicose veins is high, and it is important to replicate these variants in the stated population. The study aimed to replicate the association of genetic variants associated with varicose veins in this target population, which were found to be associated with the other ethnic groups.

METHODOLOGY

The studied cohort is of the Indian population comprising unrelated 104 varicose veins cases and 448 non-varicose vein controls. The samples were genotyped using the Illumina Global Screening Array. Using the genomic data from UK BioBank and 23andMe studied cohorts; eight genetic variants were selected to replicate in our dataset. The allelic association was performed to identify the effective allele and risk was estimated using odds ratio and p-value as level of significance. Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction was used to estimate the cumulative effect of variants in Indians.

RESULT

Variant rs3791679 of EFEMP1 was found to be associated with varicose veins in Indians. After observing the association of the EFEMP1 with varicose veins, we further ensued to identify all genetic variants within EFEMP1 to uncover the additional variants associated with this trait. Interestingly, we identified six new variants of EFEMP1 gene that have shown association. Moreover, the cumulative effect of all associated variations was estimated and the risk was 2.7 times higher in cases than controls whereas independently their effect ranges from 0.37-1.58.

CONCLUSION

This study identifies EFEMP1 as a potential gene related to the risk of varicose veins in Indians. It also highlights that evaluating the maximum number of variants of a gene rather than focusing solely on replicating single variations offers a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the genetic factors contributing to a complex trait like varicose veins.

Evaluating the Prevalence and Risk Factors of Varicose Veins in Surgeons and Operating Room Staff at Buraidah Center Hospital

Background Varicose veins (VVs), which are characterized by visible, convoluted veins in the lower limbs, are a prevalent disorder that afflicts a substantial portion of the population. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to look at the prevalence and risk factors for VVs among surgeons and operating room personnel at Buraidah Central Hospital in Saudi Arabia. They usually become worse over time once they develop, which highlights the importance of early intervention and preventive actions. Methodology Data from 91 participants were collected from diverse healthcare professionals between August 2023 and September 2023 via an online questionnaire covering demographics, health, and occupational factors. The chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were employed to examine the correlation between these variables and the occurrence of VVs. Results The data analysis revealed that several specific factors displayed notable associations. Occupations as Surgical Physicians, OR Staff, or Nurse (p=0.009), the number of days worked in the operating room (p=0.040), the role in the operating room, especially those mainly standing (p=0.001), contraceptive pill usage (p=0.000), and vaginal delivery (p=0.037) displayed statistically significant relationships with VVs. In contrast, factors like gender, age group, ethnicity, family history of VVs, social status, smoking habits, exercise frequency, BMI, lifting heavy objects, and years in the field did not reveal substantial associations with VVs, as indicated by p-values exceeding 0.05. Conclusion The study identified a low VV diagnosis prevalence, with an equal distribution among male and female respondents. Key factors that contribute to the risk of developing VVs include the number of days worked in the operating room, the role in the operating room, a family history of VVs, contraceptive pill usage, and the method of delivery.

What is the prevalence of chronic venous disease among health care workers? A scoping review

Chronic venous disease (CVD) occurs because of structural or functional disturbances to the venous system of the lower limbs. Signs and symptoms include leg pain, swelling, varicose veins, and skin changes, with venous ulceration ultimately occurring in severe disease. To assess the prevalence of CVD among health care workers, a scoping review of existing publications exploring the prevalence of CVD among health care workers was conducted in July 2022. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were used. A total of 15 papers met the inclusion criteria and these formed the basis of the review. Among health care workers, the mean prevalence of CVD was 58.5% and the mean prevalence for varicose veins was 22.1%. There is an increased prevalence of CVD in health care workers when compared with the general population. Therefore, there is a need for early diagnosis and the use of preventative measures to protect health care workers from CVD and varicose vein development.

Earth’s gravity field and prevalence of varicose veins and chronic venous disease: Systematic review

Aim

This study examines the influence of Earth’s gravity field on the prevalence of varicose veins in geophysical area.

Material and Methods

We performed a systematic review (OVID and Google Scholar) of studies focusing on prevalence of varicose veins to determine the influence of Earth’s gravity field—GRACE GGM05S gravity model—on the disease prevalence. PROSPERO: CRD42021279513.

Results

81 studies met inclusion and quality criteria. Areas with stronger gravity have significantly higher prevalence of varicose veins with adjustment for age, gender and body mass index (BMI) ( p-values < 0.02). Adjusted for age, prevalence of varicose veins in areas with gravity field +20 mGal and more is 1.37 time higher than in areas with gravity field less than +20 mGal, p-value 0.005 (95% CI: −12.5 to −2.4): mean disease prevalence for gravity field +20 mGal and more—27.5% (mean age, 40.1 years; mean gravity field, +27.1 mGal; 63.9% females, 37 studies, 123,164 participants) vs mean disease prevalence for gravity field less than +20 mGal – 20.1% (mean age, 42.2 years; mean gravity field, +5.7 mGal; 56.8% females, 44 studies, 205,925 participants). Older age is the main risk factor for varicose veins ( p-values < 0.005). Female gender and high BMI are insignificantly associated with high prevalence of varicose veins ( p-values > 0.4 for gender, p-values > 0.2 for BMI).

Conclusion

Stronger gravity field is significantly associated with higher prevalence of varicose veins—risk factor. The potential mechanism of this phenomenon is that high gravity field alters systemic venous return, pooling blood and fluid in the peripheral, gravity-dependent regions of the body in upright humans constantly living in the defined geophysical area.

Risk Assessment of Varicose Veins Among Teachers in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

Background

Varicose veins (VV) are abnormally swollen, tortuous, and prominent veins caused by insufficient venous valves leading to venous congestion and elevated venous pressure. Prolonged standing at work has been proposed to be an important risk factor for varicose veins. Teachers are prone to have varicose veins due to prolonged standing. The aim of this study was to assess the risk of varicose veins among teachers in Al-Asha, Saudi Arabia.

Method

This was a cross-sectional study conducted among teachers of primary, secondary, and high schools in Al-Ahsa, of both genders, between April 2022 and June 2022. The participants were interviewed and examined for the presence of signs and symptoms of the disease. Finally, the collected data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, version 26.0 for Windows) software.

Result

Out of 399 participating teachers with a mean age of 43.2 ± 12.9 years, 216 (54.1%) were males and the remainder were female. The commonest symptom was pain in the legs, which was exacerbated by work (43.1%). Most of the participants were working for more than 16 years (43.6%) and standing for less than six hours per day (72.7%). The most pointed sign was spider legs-shaped veins (23.8%). However, the least collective sign was paleness in the ulcer area after healing (1.8%). A total of 140 teachers had a family history of varicose veins, 74 of them (18.5%) were diagnosed with varicose veins previously. We summarize our result as female teachers who have a family history of VV have more risk to develop the disease.

Conclusion

The prevalence of varicose veins was high among teachers in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. According to our study, teachers have a significant chance of developing the condition since their working style contributes to its progression. Further actions need to be made in order to increase awareness and prevent its complications.

Prevalence of Varicose Veins Among Nurses in Different Departments in Jazan Public Hospitals, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Varicose veins (VV) in the lower limbs are the most prevalent vascular condition in humans. They can cause significant signs and symptoms and, in extreme cases, death. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and identify the risk factors for varicose veins among nurses working in multiple departments at Jazan King Fahd Central Hospital and Prince Muhammad bin Nasser Hospital. A cross-sectional study was conducted by sending a questionnaire to female and male nurses in these hospitals. This study included 482 nurses, 415 (86.1%) of whom were female and 67 (13.9%) male. The prevalence of varicose veins among the nurses of both hospitals was 76 (15.8%), compared with 406 (84.2%) not diagnosed with varicose veins. The prevalence of varicose veins was 67 (88.2%) in female nurses, compared with 9 (11.8%) in male nurses. The risk factors associated with varicose veins were ethnicity (p = 0.007), carrying heavy items (p = 0.001), lack of exercise (p = 0.031), family history (p = 0.001), use of hormonal therapy (p = 0.001), use of contraceptive pills (p = 0.0035), type of delivery (p = 0.002), number of children (p = 0.004), and hours sitting per shift (p = 0.002). The comorbidities associated with varicose veins were deep vein thrombosis (p = 0.001), hypertension (p = 0.002), chronic constipation (p = 0.006), diabetes (p = 0.001), kidney disease (p = 0.001), rheumatoid arthritis (p = 0.001), coronary artery disease, and severe occupational injury to the lower extremities (p = 0.001). Nurses are responsible for most of the health system's services. Increasing the number of nursing workers for patient care, encouraging physical exercise, and lowering the pension age appear to be required to avoid the occurrence and development of varicose veins among nurses.