Abstract
BackgroundVaricose veins commonly occur in the lower extremities and can cause pain and discomfort in the affected area. Many patients with varicose veins suffer from itching, but its cause has not been sufficiently explained. In recent years, the role of zinc in maintaining the integrity of skin has been reported, and zinc supplementation has been suggested to be effective in relieving itching. The objective of this study is to elucidate the relationship between itching and serum zinc concentration in patients with varicose veins.MethodsWe measured the stratum corneum water content, TEWL and zinc levels in each participant. The study subjects were 11 patients with varicose veins who were experiencing itching (2 males and 9 females, mean age: 65.9 ± 9.4 years old) and 13 patients without itching (6 males and 7 females, mean age: 59.3 ± 9.5 years old). The control group was comprised of 9 healthy individuals without varicose veins (mean age: 41.7 ± 7.0 years old).ResultsThe level of stratum corneum water content was significantly lower in the patients experiencing itching compared to those without the symptom, and it was significantly lower in both patient groups than in the control group. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was significantly higher in the patients experiencing itching than those without the symptom, and it was significantly higher in both patient groups than in the control group. In addition, zinc level was significantly lower in the patients with itching compared to those without itching or the control group. For all study participants, relationships between the stratum corneum water content and TEWL against serum zinc were examined. There was a positive correlation between the stratum corneum water content and serum zinc, and a negative correlation was found between TEWL and serum zinc.ConclusionOur novel findings suggested that the development of varicose veins leads to decrease in serum zinc, causing dry skin which could contribute to itching.
Highlights
Varicose veins commonly occur in the lower extremities and can cause pain and discomfort in the affected area
The non-patient control group was comprised of 9 individuals without varicose veins
We investigated whether there was a difference in the level of stratum corneum water content between patients with or without itching symptom
Summary
Varicose veins commonly occur in the lower extremities and can cause pain and discomfort in the affected area. The role of zinc in maintaining the integrity of skin has been reported, and zinc supplementation has been suggested to be effective in relieving itching. The rate of occurrence of varicose veins in the adult population varies according to different studies; it is evident that it increases with age [1,2,3]. It is prevalent among pregnant mothers and those engaged in work that requires prolonged standing [1,2,3,4]. It is considered that the skin is readily influenced by zinc deficiency, and supplementing zinc to alleviate itching in dialysis patients has been proposed in several reports [11, 12]
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