IMPACT OF PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF CHRONIC VENOUS DISEASE ON PATIENTS' QUALITY OF LIFE AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONING
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31435/ijitss.3(51).2026.6035Keywords:
Chronic Venous Disease, Quality of Life, Social Functioning, Health-related Quality of Life, CIVIQ, PhlebotonicsAbstract
Aim: The aim of this study was to review the literature on the efficacy of phlebotonics in the treatment of chronic venous disease (CVD) of the lower limbs, with particular emphasis on their impact on patients' quality of life, social functioning and daily activity.
Materials and Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar and ScienceDirect, covering publications from 1992 to 2026. A total of 22 references were included – randomised controlled trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses and review articles.
Results: Chronic venous disease significantly impairs patients' quality of life in both physical and psychosocial dimensions. Phlebotonics act primarily symptomatically, reducing pain, oedema and limb heaviness, which translates into improved daily functioning and social activity. Micronized purified flavonoid fraction (MPFF) has the best-documented efficacy in symptom reduction and quality of life improvement, assessed with the CIVIQ-20 questionnaire, with the highest level of evidence according to GRADE. Results of available studies are inconclusive and depend on the type of phlebotonic used and measurement tools applied.
Conclusions: Phlebotonics should not be treated as a homogeneous therapeutic class, as individual substances differ in efficacy profile and mechanism of action. Effective pharmacological management of CVD contributes to improved social functioning and health-related quality of life. Further clinical studies with longer observation periods and standardised quality of life tools are needed to better understand the full impact of these drugs on patients' everyday lives.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Emilia Dedio, Wiktoria Michalska, Karolina Gaweł, Gabriela Augustynowicz, Klaudia Dziuba, Leon Miller, Weronika Matera, Aleksandra Kozik, Aleksandra Majewska, Wiktoria Podlasiewicz
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