BACKGROUND: Chronic venous disease afflicts individuals in their most productive years, resulting in pain and loss of mobility and independence in performing routine daily activities, which may directly interfere with the patient's quality of life. Clinical symptoms result from venous hypertension caused by reflux and/or venous blockage. OBJECTIVE: To determine differences in the quality of life of patients with mild and severe chronic venous disease. METHODS: A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted in a health care facility during an 8-month period. The sample was composed of 88 patients divided into two groups: group A (clinical CEAP class 1, 2 and 3) and group B (clinical CEAP class 4, 5 and 6). The Medical Outcomes Study - 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire was used. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Student t test, with a 95% confidence interval and a level of significance set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: We analyzed 88 subjects, 47 in group A and 41 in group B. Of the total, 87.5% (77) were women and 34% (30) were aged 30 to 40 years. Subcutaneous changes (CEAP class 4) were the most common symptoms, observed in 28.4% of the individuals. Except for the general health perceptions domain, group B showed lower scores than group A in all other domains. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of life of patients with mild and severe chronic venous disease proved to be different according to disease severity.
Quality of life; varicose veins; venous insufficiency