Compliance with compression stockings in patients with chronic venous disorders

Objective The aim of this large survey was to evaluate non-compliance with compression stockings in chronic venous disorder (CVD) patients. Method A total of 16,770 CVD patients participated in this study. Results Compression stockings were used by 25.6% of CVD patients and 46.6% of the patients were never prescribed compression therapy. Compression stocking use was found to increase with the clinical stage of CVD. The percentage of patients using compression stockings during control visits increased to 37.4%. Furthermore, 5.3% of the patients coming to control visits discontinued the use of compression stockings owing to high cost, sweating, itching, cosmetic reason, oedema exacerbation, exudation lesions of lower legs and application difficulty. Past episodes of vein thrombosis (OR = 0.80), of stroke (OR = 0.28) and of varicose veins surgery (OR = 0.28) were decreasing, while the management by a general practitioner was increasing the risk (OR = 1.36) of compression therapy cessation. Conclusion (1) Compression stockings are too rarely prescribed and often unaccepted at early stages of CVD; (2) The common reason for discontinuation of compression therapy is its high cost.