Skip to main content
Clinic Walk-thru
Consultation
Contact Us
Provider Referral

816-396-0245   Call Today!

Blood Clots & Varicose Veins - 5X Higher Risk

Blood Clots & Varicose Veins - 5X Higher Risk

Suspect a Blood Clot in Leg?

Ultrasound Blood Clot med

  • Alsara Vein Clinic offers same-day appointments
  • Detailed scan for Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) as well as Superficial Vein Thrombosis (SVT)

The best test currently available for thrombosis (clot) in the legs is a color flow duplex ultrasound. At Alsara Vein Clinic, we utilize very high-resolution ultrasound capable of diagnosing clots in even the smaller deep veins in the calf.

Certified by ABVLM Sam Gupta MDDr. Gupta is certified by the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine. All clinical staff has specialized education and training for the management of venous diseases including all types of blood clots. Urgent Care centers, Primary Care Providers, Patients, and their relatives routinely call us for same-day appointments.

At Alsara Vein Clinic, we treat vein problems all day, every day. Unlike duplex ultrasound performed at an Emergency Room that focuses only on deep vein thrombosis (DVT), we check for DVT and SVT. Do not let yourself or your loved one be another victim of an undiagnosed dangerous blood clot.

Call us at 816-396-0245 for a Consultation

Superficial Thrombophlebitis and Deep Vein Thrombosis (blood clots) are other potential complications from varicose veins.

Varicose veins are prone to developing Superficial Thrombophlebitis (SVT) as well as Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). Superficial Thrombophlebitis is characterized by redness of the skin, tenderness, and pain along the affected superficial vein just below the skin surface. As opposed to deep veins, blood clots in the superficial veins are less severe and generally do not break off and go to the lungs.

blood clots

Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT on the other hand is a more severe condition. The vein in the leg still becomes inflamed and forms a blood clot. However, Deep Vein Thrombosis has the potential to cause a “pulmonary embolism” – a potentially life-threatening condition – if the clot breaks loose and travels to the right side of the heart and eventually migrates to the lungs.

Vein Disease Menu

Amy Hallquist - Blood Clots

Blood Clots - 5X Righer Risk

  • Blood Clots:
    • Embolism: a blood clot that travels from the site where it was formed
    • Thrombus: a blood clot that forms in a vessel
  • Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT): 5 X higher risk of DVT in people with Varicose Veins
  • Pulmonary Embolism (PE): blood clot travels through the heart and blocks a blood vessel in the lung
  • Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD): 1.7 X higher risk of Pulmonary Embolism (PE)

A landmark study was published in JAMA, a very reputable medical journal, that demonstrated how people who have varicose veins have five times (5X) higher risk for clots in the deep veins that can be potentially fatal. Those blood clotscan take off and get lost in areas like the lungs and cause conditions like Pulmonary Embolism.

In the initial stages of varicose veins, people may only see some spider veins or ropey veins, and sometimes there are no visible veins. You may have pain, heaviness, tiredness, restless legs, leg cramps, etc. More advanced stages are when you have skin changes, discoloration, bleeding, ulcers that are slow to heal, and blood clots.

Read More about Potentially Deadly Blood Clots

Varicose Vein Treatments are coved by insurance including Medicare and Medicaid

Varicose Veins – Early Sign of Potentially Deadly Blood Clots

Many patients now recognize that varicose veins may not be visible from the outside. Most of our patients report experiencing tiredness, cramping (charley horse), restlessness, or swelling in the legs. Those whose condition has not reached one of the advanced stages often wonder if they are at increased risk of anything that could be limb or life-threatening.

At least one-third of our patients clearly have signs of advanced venous insufficiency – when varicose veins have progressed to a point where the chronic pooling of blood (stasis) in the legs causes skin changes. They may notice skin discoloration, thickening or hardening of the skin, recurrent skin infections, bleeding that can be profuse, and poorly healing sores in the legs. In addition, varicose veins may be an early warning sign of potentially deadly blood clots.

We routinely see patients with blood clots. Some are referred by their primary care providers and others present themselves with concerns about blood clots. Yet there are many patients who are surprised to find that they have a blood clot when we examine them using duplex ultrasound.

Blood clots are far more common than most people think. Serena Williams and Hillary Clinton are among the dozens of celebrities who have suffered consequences due to blood clots. James “Jimmy” Stewart from the movie It’s a Wonderful Life and NBC journalist David Bloom lost their lives from blood clots. David Bloom’s wife, Melonie Bloom, has devoted her life to raising awareness of thrombosis.

The association between varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was demonstrated in a landmark Taiwanese study published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association). Reviewing the health records of over 425,000 adults, the study found a higher rate of pulmonary embolism (when a blood clot in the leg breaks off and travels to the lung) and peripheral artery disease in patients with varicose veins.

  • take care of your bodyVaricose veins increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) by five times
  • DVT is a clot in the legs, which can lead to amputation or even death
  • Varicose veins make people twice as likely to develop a pulmonary embolism
  • Varicose veins double the risk of peripheral artery disease, which reduces blood flow


Varicose veins are veins with weakened walls that fail and cause pooling of blood in the legs. Patients with varicose veins are known to have increased levels of inflammatory and pro-thrombotic markers. These patients have a considerably high risk of forming blood clots in their legs.

Not all clots are serious, but they often tell us about an underlying problem such as impaired blood flow that can lead to greater problems down the road. As Dr. Chang, the lead author of the Taiwanese study stated, “varicose veins deserve careful monitoring and early evaluation”.

Call us at 816-396-0245. We are here for you.

Learn more about Blood Clots

blood clots in the news