Tisi Paul
Bedford Hospital, Bedford, UK.
BMJ Clin Evid. 2007 Oct 18;2007:0212.
Varicose veins are caused by poorly functioning valves in the veins, and decreased elasticity of the vein wall, allowing pooling of blood within the veins, and their subsequent enlargement. Varicose veins affect up to 40% of adults, and are more common in obese people, and in women who have had more than two pregnancies.
We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical question: What are the effects of treatments in adults with varicose veins? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library and other important databases up to May 2007 (BMJ Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically, please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
We found 27 systematic reviews, RCTs, or observational studies that met our inclusion criteria.
In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: compression stockings, endovenous laser, injection sclerotherapy, radiofrequency ablation, self-help (advice, avoidance of tight clothing, diet, elevation of legs, exercise), and surgery (avulsion, powered phlebectomy, stripping).
静脉曲张是由静脉瓣膜功能不良以及静脉壁弹性降低引起的，这会导致血液在静脉内积聚，随后静脉扩张。静脉曲张影响多达40%的成年人，在肥胖人群以及生育过两个以上孩子的女性中更为常见。
我们进行了一项系统评价，旨在回答以下临床问题：治疗对成年静脉曲张患者有何效果？我们检索了：截至2007年5月的医学期刊数据库（Medline）、荷兰医学文摘数据库（Embase）、考克兰图书馆及其他重要数据库（《英国医学杂志》临床证据综述会定期更新，请查看我们的网站获取本综述的最新版本）。我们纳入了来自相关组织的危害警示，如美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA）和英国药品和医疗产品监管局（MHRA）。
我们发现27项系统评价、随机对照试验或观察性研究符合我们的纳入标准。
在本系统评价中，我们呈现了以下干预措施的有效性和安全性相关信息：弹力袜、静脉腔内激光治疗、注射硬化疗法、射频消融、自我护理（建议、避免穿紧身衣物、饮食、抬高腿部、运动）以及手术（剥脱术、动力性静脉切除术、静脉剥脱术）。
