Q: Can varicose veins cause heart problems?

A: Heart disease and venous disease are not related. The causes of venous disease (hereditary predisposition to venous disease, prolonged standing, pregnancy, hormonal influences, local trauma, etc.) are completely different than those related to heart disease (hereditary predisposition to heart disease, elevated cholesterol, smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, stress, etc.). Weak vein valves do not increase the likelihood of heart valves to fail.