Superficial Venous Pathology in the Asian Population of South West London – A Prospective Study

ObjectivesThe Asian population of our hospital catchment area represents 6.2% of the total, which is 3.2% higher than the national average, compared to the Caucasian population which comprises 70.2% and is 21.9% lower than the national average. This study aimed to analyse the prevalence and presentation of superficial venous disease (SVD) in the Asian population of South West London.MethodsA prospectively gathered database of all 481 patients referred by local general practitioners (GP) to the varicose veins nurse specialist over a 24 month period was analyzed. Information was collected on demographics, presenting features, clinical signs, and whether surgical referral was made.ResultsAsians presented significantly younger than Caucasians (p < 0.0001; unpaired t-test). Caucasians had a significantly higher positive family history than Asians (p ≤ 0.05; chi-squared test). SVD severity was graded using the CEAP (clinical, etiological, anatomical, pathophysiological) classification. Asians had significantly more severe disease than Caucasians (p ≤ 0.01; chi-squared test). There were no differences in sex distribution.ConclusionAsians presented younger with more severe disease than their Caucasian counterparts. The reasons for these findings are unclear, but probably represent a combination of genetic, environmental and social factors. Further research is in progress to investigate this.