Chronic venous insufficiency in a geriatric collective A prospective pilot study

Aim: Investigation of symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) in geriatric patients > 65 years and their relation to activities of daily life and locomotion. Methods: This monocenter pilot study collects data from patients of a geriatric hospital. We qualified Activities of daily live by Barthel Index, locomotion via Timed-Up-and-Gotest and clinical CEAP levels and included data from the Venous Clinical Severity Score and the patient questionnaire of the German Society of Phlebology. Additionally a duplexsonographic screening was performed. Identified CEAP levels were correlated with results of the scores mentioned above. Results: 42 patients with an average age of 80.5 (64-93) years were included. 76.2 % of them had a CEAP-score of >= 3. CEAP-score 5-6 correlated with limited locomotion and independence in activities of daily life. 81 % of the patients had previous venous therapies. Conclusion: CVI is an underestimated disease in elder patients. In our collective a great part of patients showed relevant clinical symptoms of CVI which were aggravated by limitations of higher age. Early diagnostic and therapy of CVI are indicated to reduce complicated clinical courses.