AVF Research Retreat: Priorities in Venous Disease Care
Genetics and Biology Behind Venous Disease Progression
Speakers reviewed vein wall biology and epigenetic stress pathways driving disease severity, plus a Mendelian randomization analysis showing shared genetics between height and varicose veins rather than mere association.
Medical and Compression Therapy: Persistent Evidence Gaps
Venoactive drug and compression guidelines remain based on low quality evidence, panelists debated GLP-1 agonists for obesity linked venous hypertension, and agreed compression aids symptoms without proven disease modification.
Perforators and Pelvic Sources: Refining Procedural Selection
Perforator ablation in C2 disease is rarely appropriate per guidelines and supported only by small case series, while pelvic source varicosities require better validated imaging and outcome tools before broader embolization use.
Health Equity and Setting Future Research Priorities
A talk on health disparities called for diverse trial enrollment and implementation science, and the retreat closed by prioritizing recruitment of underrepresented patients, early risk detection, and psychosocial epigenetic research.
