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. 2005 Sep;22(3):157–161. doi: 10.1055/s-2005-921949

Table 1.

Prevalence of Varicose Veins in Males and Females from Surveys of the General Population

Year Location Age (y) Method Definition Male (%) Female (%)
Data modified from Fowkes et al.2
1973 Tecumseh, USA >10 Examination Prominent superficial veins in the lower extremities 12.9 25.9
1981 Jerusalem, Israel >15 Examination Distended and tortuous subcutaneous veins, excluding very small veins (venulectasia) 10.4 29.5
1992 London, England 35–70 Questionnaire Asked “Have you ever had large veins or varicose veins in your legs?” 17 31
1995 Finland >30 Questionnaire Asked whether a physician had ever made a diagnosis of varicose veins 6.8 24.6
1999 Edinburgh, Scotland 18–64 Examination Dilated tortuous trunks of the long and short saphenous veins and their branches of first or second order 39.7 32.2