Brought to you by: Methodist Health Medical Center
Cardiovascular health is a term we hear a lot, however the heart/cardio part is what usually gets our attention and not the vascular part. Vascular health involves the veins and arteries in our body, which bring oxygen to every tissue in our body. To get a better understanding of what vascular conditions could affect us and to do to maintain our vascular healthy, we reached out to our community partner, Methodist Dallas Medical Center.
Dr. Jay Vasquez, MD, chief of vascular surgery at Methodist, was on hand to answer your questions on vascular health. We collected these from our ABPA community and below are Dr. Vasquez’ responses. Thanks to all who submitted their questions!
Interested in knowing your risk for cardiovascular disease? Head to the Methodist online Heart Health Risk Assessment tool and take action to prevent future complications.
- Do spider veins get worse certain times of year (i.e., summer vs winter)?
- Spider veins can appear throughout the year. There is no difference in spider veins between summer and winter. What you may notice however, is that you may have more symptoms during warmer months as warm temperatures cause your veins to dilate and can lead to increased symptoms. Spider veins are a cosmetic concern for the most part, but can cause itching and discomfort. What is important to realize, is that these are not varicose veins, and do not pose any health risks.
- Are there any new treatments for varicose veins other than surgery?
- Treatment for spider veins is strictly minimally invasive and consists of a procedure known as sclerotherapy. This is where a small needle is used to inject a sclerosant liquid into the spider vein causing it to disappear.
- Varicose veins are a different issue and can lead to leg swelling, pain, and in rare cases, skin ulcers. There are large bulging veins and are deeper in the subcutaneous tissue of the legs. Treatment for varicose veins include: surgical removal, laser therapy and foam sclerotherapy. All methods have high success rates. The best treatment depends on the patient’s specific anatomy and their goals for treatment.
- So, yes, there are many treatments for varicose veins besides surgery.
- Does crossing your legs cause varicose veins or is that just a myth?
- Crossing your legs does not cause varicose veins. It is a myth
- Does taking birth control raise the risk of developing heart disease?
- Oral contraceptives do not cause heart problems. In some patients, birth control pills may increase your blood pressure and if you already have heart issues, this may make things worse. If you have a strong family or personal history of heart disease, or already have high blood pressure, I would recommend a cardiology evaluation before starting birth control pills.
- Birth control pills can is some cases increase the chances of a blood clot in your legs. This is known as a deep vein thrombosis or DVT. If you have a family history of blood clots and/or you are a smoker, you might be at higher risk. Discuss these issues with your OB-GYN physician before starting oral contraceptive therapy.
- Is it a waste of time to remove varicose veins if you plan to have another baby in the near future?
- Pregnancy is definitely a risk factor for varicose veins. In general, it is recommended that you wait until you are done having children to get definitive treatment for varicose veins.
- What are the noninvasive ways to remove varicose veins and what is the downtime?
- The non-invasive ways to treat varicose veins include foam sclerotherapy and ablation therapy. Foam sclerotherapy is similar to injecting spider veins but in this case we’re working with larger veins. The ablation procedure is for the deeper veins of the legs to treat a problem known as venous reflux, and is done with a catheter or laser catheter. Both procedures are done in the office and downtime is minimal. Most patients are back to normal activity a day after the procedure. This is in contrast to surgical treatment which usually has a 1 – 2 week recovery period.
- What heart rate range should you aim for when working out? Is it ok to stay in a lower “fat burning zone” or should you shoot for a higher “cardio zone”?
- The American Heart Association has a nice chart on their website that shows what your maximum heart rate should be during exercise. Whether you target a “fat burning zone” or “cardio zone” depends on what your goals are. A quick calculation that can help is subtracting your age from 220. For example, if you are 35 years old, subtract 35 from 220. 220-45 = 185. So, your maximum heart rate during exercise should not exceed 175.
- Again, if you have heart disease, consult your physician before doing any strenuous exercise.
- How many minutes per week should you really workout? And what are the best workouts to do as you get older to keep up with your cardiovascular health?
- I usually recommend working out at least three times a week. Whether you do cardio or weights or both is up to you, as long as you get your heart rate up. Moderate exercise for 30 minutes, 3 times a week has been shown to have long term benefits according to the American Heart Association. During moderate exercise, you should aim for a heart rate that is 50-85% of your maximum target. If you can achieve this with fun activities with your family, even better.
- The most important thing is getting off the sofa and doing things. Getting started is always the hardest part.
- Do certain kinds of exercise make visible veins worse?
- No exercise does not make visible veins worse. In fact, exercise is good for varicose veins. Vein blood moves with muscle contraction. Any kind of walking or exercise promotes vein blood movement and overall vein circulation. For patients that we treat conservatively for varicose veins, our main advice is compression socks and staying active.
- How many oz of water should you REALLY drink in a day?
- Good question. The answer is it varies. After multiple studies, The U.S. Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, recommend about 3 liters for men and 2.7 liters for women. That will come out to about 6-8 glasses of water a day. However, this may increase or decrease depending on other factors. For example, if you have heart failure or kidney issues, drinking less is important, as your body cannot process that much water a day. For normal healthy people, the above recommendations are ok.
- Some things that may change how much water you require during the day are: Exercise environment especially in hot, dry or humid areas may require more water, pregnancy and breast feeding may also require you to stay more hydrated
- Overall, drink when you are thirsty and stay away from soft drinks and excessive caffeine. Water should be your main source of liquid intake throughout the day.
- What is the best way to treat cellulite?
- I don’t have to tell you that treating cellulite is a tough one. Exercising and losing weight are very important. Building muscle mass also helps and will require targeted weight training. As far as procedures go, there is liposuction (smart lipo), retinol cream and laser therapy. Repeated procedures may be required. The best source of treatment for this are med spas and plastic surgeons.
