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Abstract: Objectives: To assess self-management of chronic venous disorders (CVDs) in a selected Italian population and the pattern of prescription by selected Italian phlebologists. Design: Cross-sectional study carried out between 2003 and 2005. Materials: Non-random, transverse sample of men and women recruited by advertising. Methods: Assessment of therapeutic habits of respondents, treatment advice given by phlebologists related to socio-demographic variables and severity of the disease. Multivariate odds ratios for sex, age, class, region, family history and severity of the disease. Results: Women undergo CVD therapy more than men (odds ratio (OR): 2.37 for medical treatment; 1.29 for surgical treatment and 5.72 for sclerotherapy). Young people prefer drug treatment to compression stockings. Drug therapy for CVD is 1.5 times more likely in southern Italian respondents, as is compression stockings (OR: 1.91). Surgical therapy is more frequent in Northern Italy (OR for Central Italy: 0.79; Southern Italy and Islands: 0.76). Family history of CVD leads people to early treatment of symptoms. Conclusions: This study provides insight into self-medication of CVD in Italy and the prescribing patterns of Italian phlebologists in the treatment of CVD. It shows that the population interviewed is able to practise responsible self-medication of their CVD problems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a common progressive disease, the deterioration rate depending on specific risk factors. Demographic characteristics associated with the prevalence of objective signs of CVI were evaluated in a cross-sectional population study in Italy. Methods: A sample of 5247 people selected by advertising in television and newspapers in 24 Italian cities underwent a clinical examination of the lower limbs, including colour-coded duplex ultrasonography, to determine the presence and severity of CVI. Of these, 4288 subjects provided demographic data that could be analysed by multiple logistic regression model using sex, age, region and family history as covariates. Results: Women were four or more times as likely as men to develop telangiectasia, whilst males had a two-fold increased risk of trunk varices. Age was the main risk factor for vein varicosis in the female population, with women aged over 50 years being almost five times as likely as those aged 29 or less to show trunk varices. Females living in the southern regions had a two-fold increase in risk of developing CVI signs and the risk increased by at least 1.3 times in multiparous women. A positive familial history of disease increased the risk for varicose veins. Conclusions: Demographic characters such as sex, advanced age, living in the southern regions, number of pregnancies and a family history of CVI were all contributing risk factors for the development of CVI in Italy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: To assess the relationship between sex, age, geographical region, lower limb symptoms and the presence of trunk varicose veins and venous incompetence. Design: Cross-sectional population study in 24 cities in the North, centre and South of Italy. Participants: Five thousand two hundred and forty-seven people were selected during spring and summer 2003 by advertising on television, in newspapers, and by leaflets in 24 Italian cities. In all 5187 (4457 [85.9%] women and 730 men [14.1%]) volunteers were assessed. The median age was 54 (range: 18–90) years for the women and 61 (range: 18–89) years for the men. Methods: Self-administered questionnaire on subjective symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) in the lower limbs, and clinical examination, including colour duplex ultrasonography to assess the presence and severity of varicose veins. Results: Overall only 22.7% of the subjects examined were free of visible signs of venous disease, with approximately 53% of the population over 50 years of age showing some venous reflux. People living in Southern Italy were more severely affected than those living in the North. Varicosities and telangiectases were the most frequent objective signs in both sexes. Trunk varicosities (27%) and saphenous reflux (41%) increased with age and were more common in men; in contrast, minor objective symptoms such as telangiectases (70%), as well as subjective symptoms such as heavy (79%) and tired legs (78%), were more common in women and were not age-related. Conclusions: Venous disease is very common in Italy, in particular in people living in the South. A correlation between varicose veins and venous incompetence is more marked in men, while minor objective and subjective symptoms prevail in women. The findings from this non-random sample closely match results from previous studies, in which random sampling was used. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]