In a recent study published in Frontiers in Nutrition, researchers examine the influences of vegetarian and non-vegetarian diets on the prevalence of varicose veins in women and men.
Study: The association between a vegetarian weight loss program and varicose veins could be more distinguished in men than in women. Image Credit: Antonina Vlasova / Shutterstock.com
Background
Varicose veins are a vascular disease characterised by the formation of dilated, distinguished, visible, and tortuous subcutaneous veins within the legs. Varicose veins are a degenerative condition that worsens over time and places a substantial burden on individuals and the general public health system. Studies from the UK reported that in over half the patients, the condition deteriorates over time, often resulting in ulceration and pigmentation.
The danger aspects for varicose veins include age, parity, obesity, long hours spent standing, and heavy lifting.
A big body of evidence indicates that a vegetarian weight loss program reduces the danger of heart problems, coronary heart disease, and associated mortality. A plant-based weight loss program has also been linked to a reduced risk of cerebrovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndromes, heart failure, improved lipid profiles, lower blood pressure, and weight management.
Nevertheless, the impact of a vegetarian weight loss program on the pathogenesis of varicose veins has not been investigated.
Concerning the study
In the current study, researchers obtained data for 9,905 adult participants from the Taiwan Biobank. This database comprises population-level data on lifestyle decisions, medical history, anthropometric measurements, biochemical markers, and private information gathered through biochemical and physical examinations and detailed questionnaires.
The questionnaires obtained information on the incidence of varicose veins and other lifestyle aspects resembling vegetarian weight loss program, alcohol consumption, smoking behavior, and exercise, in addition to covariates resembling age, educational levels, and occupation. Varicose veins were defined because the presence of distorted blood vessels on the limbs starting from mild to very severe over the past month or more.
Vegetarianism was defined as a day by day vegetarian lifestyle for the last six months or more. Lifestyle and behaviors resembling alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, and exercise were coded as present or absent. At the identical time, body mass index (BMI) values were calculated to categorize the participants into normal weight, underweight, obese, and obese categories. Jobs that required prolonged periods of standing included pharmacists, teachers, nurses, and soldiers.
Vegetarian weight loss program increases risk of varicose veins in men
No matter the weight loss program, women were more at risk of developing varicose veins than men. Nevertheless, when the association was investigated by way of the weight loss program alone, men who follow a vegetarian weight loss program were at a greater risk of developing varicose veins than men who had a more diverse and omnivorous weight loss program. The sex-stratified evaluation also revealed that the danger of developing varicose veins was significantly higher in non-vegetarian and vegetarian women, in addition to vegetarian men.
The potential causes of the increased risk amongst women developing varicose veins might be resulting from sex hormones and pregnancy. That is supported by in vivo studies in mice demonstrating that the depletion of sex hormones resulted in reduced vein diameter and contractility of blood vessels. Other studies have discussed the association between an increased incidence of varicose veins amongst women and the presence of progesterone and estrogen receptors within the tunica layers.
While previous studies have reported the helpful effects of a vegetarian weight loss program on various features of human health, resembling glycemic control, lipid reduction, blood pressure, and atherosclerosis risk, the findings of the current study were in striking contrast to those observations. In reality, vegetarian men were found to be 1.45 times more likely than omnivore men to develop varicose veins.
Although the mechanisms chargeable for this negative association between the occurrence of varicose veins and vegetarianism haven’t been explored, the researchers of the present study speculate that this association might be based on the low levels of serum ferritin in vegetarian men. A vegetarian weight loss program has been related to iron deficiency, which could lead on to atrophic gastritis and various downstream processes.
While some studies have reported that the vegetarian weight loss program also leads to lower levels of vitamin B12, there’s a paucity of information on the roles of vitamins and minerals in the event of varicose veins.
Homocysteine, an amino acid with a sulfur group, plays a major role in inflammation, vascular wall maintenance, and endothelial dysfunction. So far, the impact of a vegetarian weight loss program on homocysteine levels has not been examined.
Conclusions
Women had the next risk of developing varicose veins than men, no matter their weight loss program. Men who followed a vegetarian lifestyle were at a significantly higher risk of developing varicose veins than men who were on an omnivorous weight loss program.
Journal reference:
- Tsai, C., Nfor, O. N., Tantoh, D. M., Lu, et al. (2023). The association between a vegetarian weight loss program and varicose veins could be more distinguished in men than in women. Frontiers in Nutrition 10. doi:10.3389/fnut.2023.1046158