September is World Vascular Disease Awareness Month. Because these conditions can lead to serious and unwanted complications, AGL wants to raise awareness about the types of vascular and vein diseases and the treatment options that exist.
WHAT IS A VASCULAR DISEASE?
The term Vascular Disease refers to organic and functional disorders affecting the circulatory system, i.e. the body's vast network of arteries and veins. People of all ages, genders, and races are at risk of developing vascular diseases, but certain factors can increase the risk of circulatory system pathologies. For blood vessels, factors such as age, family history, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, work, and certain underlying health conditions increase the risk of developing these diseases.
Examples of vascular diseases include Chronic Venous Disease (CVD), Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI), Arterial diseases, Blood clotting disorders, including Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), Raynauds disease, Lymphedema, etc. Read more about what is a Vascular Disease HERE.
Both Chronic Venous Disease (CVD) and Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI) are very common conditions in the general population, usually starting in young adulthood and increasing in frequency and severity in older people. Prevalence is highest in Western countries. Due to the current situation of under-diagnosis and under-treatment in many countries, there are no up-to-date patient registries, so the prevalence of these diseases is greatly underestimated worldwide.
WHAT ARE THE WARNING SIGNS OF A VENOUS DISEASE?
The presence of lumpy, twisted veins
Achy, heavy feelings in legs
Numbness and tingling in toes, feet, or legs
Restless legs
Areas of swelling, tenderness, and warmth
Night-time cramps
Visible variouse veins
Pain
WHAT ARE THE TREATMENT RECOMMENDATIONS?
Treatment of chronic venous disease (CVD) should focus on treating venous hypertension and reducing the endothelial damage and inflammation that results from it. Venous problems can be corrected with lifestyle changes, and with conservative medical and surgical interventions. Medications, compression therapy, and exercise can improve the condition, but sometimes venous problems require more intensive treatment to restore vein health and functionality.
Venoactive drugs (VADs), also called phlebotonics, are a heterogeneous group of synthetic or plant-derived drugs. Clinical trials have demonstrated their effects on edema (C3) as well as in alleviating venous symptoms (heavy legs, leg pain, swelling, cramps, burning, itching...) at all stages (C0s-C6s) of chronic venous disease (CVD). Numerous studies have also shown that they promote the healing of venous ulcers in combination with compression therapy, making these drugs an essential component in the treatment of these patients.
Compression therapy (CT) is an established treatment method for chronic venous disease. Compression therapy works by exerting external pressure on the lower extremities and preventing gravity from affecting venous flow. The aim of compression therapy is to prevent an increase in intraluminal venous pressure to reduce vascular wall tension. Compression therapy helps to increase blood circulation in the lower legs, ankles, and feet. It is an effective treatment for pain and swelling caused by conditions associated with poor circulation, such as chronic venous insufficiency and varicose veins.
WHAT IS THE CURRENT SITUATION IN MANY COUNTRIES FOR PATIENTS WITH VENOUS DISEASE?
Studies show that in many countries knowledge about Chronic Venous Disease (CVD) is not optimal and that many patients are not treated and referred to specialists according to established guidelines, even in the active stage of the disease. Furthermore, in some countries, patients do not have access to publicly funded medicines labeled as having low therapeutic utility, when this is not supported by current scientific evidence. International guidelines exist to help clinicians consider treatment options for CVD and avoid unnecessary disease progression. Better knowledge of the disease and appropriate early treatment help to reduce suffering and improve the quality of life of patients, and can also help to reduce the burden on healthcare resources for CVD.
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