Tall people at risk of varicose veins

THE taller you are, the greater your chance of developing varicose veins, say scientists at Stanford University in the U.S. They examined the genes of more than 400,000 people, and identified 30 that were linked to varicose veins as well as a genetic link to deep vein thrombosis (where a blood clot forms in one or more of the deep veins).

This was the largest genetic study of varicose veins and offers the possibility of new gene treatments for a condition typically treated with laser treatment or surgery.