Obesity as a modifiable determinant of chronic venous disease prevalence: Insights from a cross-sectional study in Brazilian patients at a university hospital

Chronic venous disease (CVD) of the lower extremities constitutes a progressive clinical entity that compromises venous hemodynamics, leading to structural and functional alterations predominantly due to venous reflux. With an estimated global prevalence of approximately 60%, CVD exerts a substantial negative impact on quality of life. Historically dismissed as merely aesthetic, the condition is now recognized for its symptomatic burden, which can considerably impair daily functioning and well-being.ObjectiveTo describe the epidemiological and clinical profile of patients with CVD treated at a university hospital and to identify demographic, clinical, and behavioral factors associated with disease severity according to the Clinical-Etiology-Anatomy-Pathophysiology (CEAP) classification.MethodsA cross-sectional prospective study was conducted with 674 patients evaluated with CVD at the Angiology Teaching and Clinical Care Unit of Pedro Ernesto University Hospital. Demographic, clinical, and behavioral data were analyzed according to the CEAP classification using ordinal logistic regression to identify factors associated with disease severity.ResultsA predominance of female patients (78.9%) was observed, with a mean age of 56.5 years. The most frequently reported symptoms were leg pain (reported by 80.7% of patients), lower-limb edema (68.7%), and burning sensation (63.8%). Higher Body Mass Index (BMI) was significantly associated with advanced CEAP stages (<i>P</i> < .001), identifying obesity as a key modifiable risk factor.ConclusionHigher BMI was the only modifiable variable independently associated with advanced stages of CVD.