Manhattan Vein Specialists: Vein Health and Heart Disease

Information may not be reliable

Do you know what a FAQ is? It's an acronym for Frequently Asked Question, and one of the questions that is asked of us most often at our NYC vein treatment center has to do with whether there is a connection between vein health and heart health. Well, there IS a connection, because both aspects of health deal with your circulatory system, and its good health depends on the proper functioning of your heart, veins, and arteries, all of them working together to convey nutrient- and oxygen-rich blood to your body. Because all of these parts of the circulatory system are interconnected, it follows that all conditions that affect the cardiovascular system are related.

That said, and to answer the FAQ more directly, there appears to be no evidence of a direct connection between your vein health and your heart health. In other words, having varicose veins or spider veins doesn't directly increase your risk of heart disease, or vice-versa. So there doesn't seem to be a one-to-one link between vein disease and heart disease, except in one important respect.

Vein disease and heart disease share a common set of risk factors

The real link between vein disease and heart disease is that they have a shared set of risk factors, many of which increase your risk of vein disease at the same time they increase your risk of heart disease. Two of these risk factors – age and genetics – you can't do much about, but other risk factors you can change, thus reducing your risk. For example, obesity is a major risk for both disorders, because every extra pound you carry around strains your heart and increases your blood pressure, putting stress on the tiny, one-way valves that enable your veins to work properly. Smoking is another major risk factor for both, so by stopping smoking, you cut your risk of either condition in half.

Another strong risk factor for both vein disease and heart disease is inactivity, which means not just "not getting enough exercise," but the more common behavior these days of spending too much time sitting. The latest research has shown that this type of inactivity now kills more people every year than smoking.

What more can you do to prevent vein disease and heart disease?

Reducing the risk factors under your control should be your first step – lose weight if you need to, stop smoking, get more exercise, and eat a balanced diet low in salt and fats. But the most important thing you can do is to see our Manhattan vein specialists to determine the state of your vein health, or see your cardiologist to find out the state of your heart health.

So if you are serious about preventing cardiovascular disease, give our NYC vein treatment center a call today at 646-233-1838 and set up an appointment for your own screening. You'll be happy you did.

Author Bio: Manhattan Vein Specialists discuss the causes of varicose veins and answer the question of whether arteries can become varicose too.

For more details: http://www.nycva.org