Genetics in chronic venous disease

Chronic venous disease is highly prevalent in the Western world, with varicose veins being the most common form of clinical manifestation. With recent developments in sequencing technology, clinicians and geneticists alike are embarking on a journey to identify and unravel the genetic candidates of chronic venous disease. There is now currently substantial evidence to suggest the presence of genetic influences in the aetiology and pathology of venous disease. Despite this, the precise nature and profile of the genes involved in chronic venous disease remain a poorly understood entity. Moreover, it is strikingly apparent that the majority of venous genetic studies conducted over the past decade do not adhere to fundamental research principles. The emergence of high-throughput genotyping platforms permits a more systematic search for inherited components of venous disease. Pursuing a genome-wide frontier has the potential to reveal novel critical metabolic pathways and explain the genetic susceptibility of chronic venous disease. An expedited knowledge of the genetic factors in the aetiology of venous disease may translate into better prevention or treatment, which would benefit patients suffering from its clinical sequelae. Researchers should be urged to foster collaborative links and design a genome-wide case-control association study as an international consortium to provide a statistically robust paradigm in the field of chronic venous disease genetics. This will carry promise for clinically relevant progress and represent a first step towards better understanding of the genetics of chronic venous disease aetiology.