Varicose veins affect up to 40% of Brazilian adults, study reveals treatment inequality
A study published in the *Annals of Vascular Surgery* examined more than 1.2 million varicose‑vein surgeries performed in Brazil between 2015 and 2023. The analysis, led by researchers at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, found that 30 %–40 % of Brazilian adults show signs of chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that can progress to pain, swelling, skin changes, bleeding and hard‑to‑heal ulcers if left untreated.
Although roughly three‑quarters of the population relies exclusively on the public Unified Health System (SUS), the rate of procedures in the private health‑insurance sector was almost five times higher. Regional disparities were pronounced: the Southeast accounted for 62 % of surgeries, the South 17.5 %, and the North only 1.5 %. The authors stress that the data provide a baseline for future public‑health policies aimed at expanding equitable access to vascular care.
Entities: Annals of Vascular Surgery · Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) · Bruno Jeronimo Ponte · Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein · Nelson Wolosker
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The study analyzed over 1.2 million varicose‑vein surgeries performed in Brazil from 2015 to 2023. (study)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Untreated chronic venous disease can lead to pain, swelling, skin changes, bleeding and ulcers that are difficult to heal. (expert)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] 62 % of varicose‑vein surgeries were performed in Brazil's Southeast region, 17.5 % in the South, and 1.5 % in the North. (study)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Researchers call for policies to improve equitable access to varicose‑vein treatment in Brazil. (researchers)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Approximately 75 % of the Brazilian population relies exclusively on the public Unified Health System (SUS). (study)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The rate of varicose‑vein procedures in Brazil's private health‑insurance sector was almost five times higher than in SUS. (study)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Between 30 % and 40 % of Brazilian adults have some degree of chronic venous insufficiency. (study)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The study was published in the *Annals of Vascular Surgery*. (publication)