Varicose veins develop when the one-way valves in leg veins deteriorate, blood can pool rather than return to the heart. Age and genetics have always been factors, but vascular experts also identify a number of contemporary lifestyle factors that speed up this process: sedentary commutes, long workdays at desks or counters, rising obesity rates, and a sharp decline in regular physical activity. Research on professionals who spend a lot of time on their feet, such as nurses and teachers, has consistently revealed significantly higher rates of the condition than the general population. This highlights how occupation and posture, rather than merely genes, now influence who gets the disease and when.
