The Link Between Being Overweight and Leg Swelling

Being overweight puts you at risk for many health conditions, from heart disease to diabetes to stroke. What many people don’t know, though, is that the extra pounds can lead to swelling in the lower legs, a condition called edema. While by itself edema isn’t necessarily serious, it’s a symptom of a much larger circulatory system problem that needs to be addressed.

At Heart Leg & Vascular Center, our expert team of vascular specialists addresses all manner of circulatory system problems, including leg swelling. Since many people aren’t aware of how excess weight affects their vascular health, we’ve taken this opportunity to explain.

The start of vein disease

Your circulatory system contains two major pathways — the arteries move oxygenated blood from the heart to the body, and the veins return deoxygenated blood to the lungs and the heart. Veins have the harder job, since they have to work against the pull of gravity. 

To compensate, the venous system employs two mechanisms. First, your calf and thigh muscles forcibly contract to push the blood forward. And second, the veins contain one-way valves that snap shut after the blood passes by, preventing backflow.

Unfortunately, everything doesn’t always go to plan. An injury to the legs or high blood pressure can damage the vein walls and the valves; when the valves can’t close completely, the blood can backtrack along its path. 

Succumbing to gravity, the blood pools around the damaged valves, and overall flow becomes sluggish as the veins engorge with blood. When the veins involved are large and close to the skin’s surface, you see colored, ropy protrusions called varicose veins. These are indicative of damaged veins and inadequate blood flow, a condition known as chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). It affects up to 40% of adults in the United States.

Sometimes, varicose veins are just an eyesore, but sometimes, they can lead to uncomfortable symptoms, including an aching “heaviness” in the lower legs and ankles and leg swelling (edema) from the stagnant blood and fluid that leaks into the tissues surrounding the vein.

Varicose veins can also lead to more advanced stages of vein disease, including:

• Superficial thrombophlebitis: small blood clots in surface veins
• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT): large clots in deep leg veins that can break off, travel to the lungs, and impede breathing
• Skin ulcers: painful, open wounds that heal slowly and risk becoming infected

Because of the risk of additional vein problems, you should always seek medical attention for your varicose veins and edema.

The link between being overweight and leg swelling

Researchers have found that vein disease as a whole is often worse in obese patients than their thinner counterparts. This may be due to several factors.

First, being overweight carries a known risk for heart disease, which includes high blood pressure. As we’ve seen, high pressure puts more stress on the vein walls, causing damage and leading to CVI and edema.

Second, being overweight increases your lipid (fat) and cholesterol levels. Fatty materials tend to clump together, and along with proteins, calcium, and cellular debris, they deposit on the artery and vein walls. This plaque narrows the conduits, meaning the heart has to pump harder to push the same amount of blood through the body, once again increasing blood pressure.

Third, being overweight can have a direct effect on the veins in the lower body. When your body stores large amounts of fat in the abdomen, the pressure against the abdominal wall increases and compresses the pelvic veins running through it. This compression leads to sluggish blood flow in the legs and feet — CVI and resulting edema.

If your lower legs are swelling, especially if you’re overweight, you may have chronic venous insufficiency. The providers at Heart Vascular & Leg Center can help. Give our office a call at 661-443-5524 to set up a consultation, or book online today.