Are varicose veins hereditary? What to do if your parents had them

2026-10-24

• Varicose veins in close relatives are one of the best-known risk factors, but not a guarantee of disease.
• What you inherit is not varicose veins themselves but features of the vein walls and valves.
• Weight, movement, work habits and footwear are things you can influence despite your genes.
• If clots run in your family, always tell your doctor, especially before pregnancy or surgery.
• Do not wait once symptoms appear: a phlebologist and a vein scan help assess things in good time.

A big family celebration, conversations around a long dastarkhan, and one of the aunts, adjusting her stockings, sighs: 'All the women in our family have legs like this.' You find yourself remembering the twisted veins on your mother's and grandmother's calves, and that evening at home you take a careful look at your own legs.

If your parents had varicose veins, it is natural to worry. But heredity is not a sentence; it is more of a hint about what to keep an eye on earlier than others. Let's look at what is really passed down in families, what you can influence and which steps help keep your legs healthy for as long as possible.

Are varicose veins really hereditary?

Yes, a family tendency is one of the best-known and most thoroughly studied risk factors for chronic venous disease. International guidelines list it alongside age, female sex, pregnancy, excess weight and long hours of standing at work.

The risk is higher if close relatives, such as parents, brothers or sisters, have varicose veins, and especially if both parents were affected. But 'higher' does not mean 'certain'. Many people with a strong family history keep healthy veins for many years, while varicose veins often appear in people whose families have never had them.

What exactly do we inherit from our parents?

Varicose veins are not inherited as a ready-made disease but as a set of features that make the veins more vulnerable. Researchers believe many genes are involved rather than a single 'varicose vein gene'. Most often this concerns traits such as:

• less elastic vein walls that stretch more easily under the pressure of blood;
• particular features of the valves that make them stop closing tightly sooner;
• properties of connective tissue in general: sometimes a tendency to varicose veins goes together with, for example, flat feet or hernias.

There is no genetic test in routine practice that can predict varicose veins. The diagnosis is made by examination and an ultrasound scan of the veins, not by a DNA test.

One more detail: we inherit not only genes from our parents, but habits too. A family kitchen heavy on salt and pastry, a whole family working on their feet in a shop, at the market or in a workshop, a dislike of walking: all of this is 'passed on' as well, though not through DNA. And that is good news, because habits can be changed.

Genes are not destiny: what can you influence?

You cannot change your age, sex or heredity. But much else is in your hands:

• Weight. Extra kilos raise the pressure in your leg veins and make symptoms worse.
• Movement. Walking and simple calf exercises keep the calf muscle pump working, pushing blood upwards.
• Work routine. If you have to stand or sit for a long time, take breaks, change position and move your feet.
• Heat. Long hot baths, a very hot bathhouse and a heater pointed at your legs all widen the veins.
• Bowel habits. Chronic constipation and straining raise the pressure in the pelvic veins.
• Shoes and clothes. Constant high heels and tight elastic bands hinder blood flow.

To be honest, there is little evidence that these measures fully prevent varicose veins in people with an inherited tendency. But they reduce the load on your veins and the severity of symptoms, which helps you keep your legs feeling light for longer. By the way, varicose veins are not just a women's problem: we explain why men should pay attention too in our article on varicose veins in men.

What should you do if your parents had varicose veins?

Here is a simple plan of action that also suits people who have no symptoms yet:

1. Learn your family history. Ask your parents and older relatives whether anyone had varicose veins, leg ulcers, blood clots or vein operations. Write it down; it will be useful at the doctor's.
2. Watch for early signs: heaviness and swelling by evening, spider veins, night cramps. Read more about the first signals in our article on spider veins on the legs.
3. Move every day: a walk, the stairs instead of the lift, swimming.
4. Keep to a healthy weight and use less salt.
5. If your doctor has recommended compression stockings, wear them as advised. Only a doctor should choose the compression class, and compression is not suitable for some arterial diseases.
6. When the first symptoms appear, book an appointment with a phlebologist, who will decide whether you need a duplex ultrasound scan.

Blood clots in the family: a separate, important topic

An inherited tendency to blood clots is not the same as varicose veins. But if any of your close relatives had deep vein thrombosis or a pulmonary embolism at a young age or for no obvious reason, be sure to tell your doctor.

This is especially important before starting hormonal contraception or hormone replacement therapy, when planning a pregnancy, and before surgery or long flights. Your doctor will decide whether further tests are needed and advise you on prevention. Taking 'genetic tests for thrombophilia' on your own initiative, without a consultation, usually makes little sense.

Should children be checked?

Varicose veins are rare in children and teenagers, so there is no need to examine a child 'just in case' without any complaints. The best prevention is an active childhood: outdoor games, sports clubs, walks, a healthy weight and fewer hours sitting still with a phone.

However, if your child has visible enlarged veins, unusual vascular marks, or one leg is noticeably larger than the other, show them to a paediatrician, who will decide whether they need to see a vascular specialist.

When is it time to see a phlebologist?

Do not put off a visit if your inherited tendency is already making itself felt:

• your legs feel heavy and swollen by evening;
• visible twisted veins or many spider veins have appeared;
• the skin around your ankles has darkened, itches or has become hard;
• night cramps or pain along the veins trouble you.

If your doctor confirms chronic venous insufficiency, they may also discuss medicines with you. Phlebodia 600 (diosmin 600 mg) is an over-the-counter venotonic medicine indicated to relieve symptoms of lymphovenous insufficiency of the legs: heaviness and tiredness, pain and restless legs syndrome. It is usually taken as 1 tablet a day with a meal, typically for 2 months; if symptoms do not ease within 2 weeks, see a doctor. It is not given to anyone under 18.

Contraindications and other details are in the official instruction. Before use, read the instruction leaflet and consult a specialist.

The main points

Heredity only shifts the odds; it does not decide for you. Knowing your family history gives you an advantage: you can start looking after your veins earlier than others, notice the first signals in time and see a doctor while the problem is still easy to keep under control. Let 'legs like everyone in the family' be not your destiny, but a reminder to take care of yourself.

Sources: 1. De Maeseneer MG, Kakkos SK, Aherne T, et al. ESVS 2022 Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Management of Chronic Venous Disease of the Lower Limbs. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg. 2022;63(2):184–267. 2. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Varicose veins: diagnosis and management. Clinical guideline CG168, 2013. 3. Instructions for medical use of Phlebodia 600 (Republic of Uzbekistan).

• Leg vein ultrasound: why you need a duplex scan and what to expect
• Leg cramps at night: causes, quick relief and prevention
• Compression stockings: how to choose the right class and size