Does Crossing Your Legs Cause Varicose Veins? - East Idaho News
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Does Crossing Your Legs Cause Varicose Veins?

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Getty 022015 CrossedLegs?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1424461255228Fuse/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — You may have heard at some point that crossing one’s legs causes varicose veins. But is that fact or fiction?

Dr. Debbie Yi, emergency medicine at UPenn Hospital, says fiction.

“It’s never been shown that crossing your legs causes varicose veins,” states Yi.

She goes on to explain that it’s been shown to have different causes for men and women: “What does cause varicose veins in men is smoking and low physical activity. In women, it’s lack of exercise, high blood pressure, and obesity.”

Yi also mentions a study showing that women who stay on their feet all day and pregnant women show higher instances of varicose veins.

So cross your legs with no worries — there are other health factors to consider if you want to reduce your chances of getting varicose veins.


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