Insufficient blood flow in the veins of the legs can be something a person is born with the likelihood of developing or may occur after trauma or a blood clot. Poor movement of the blood up the legs may be sufficient to cause swelling and puffiness, and feelings of heaviness, tingling, cramps, pain, varicose veins and skin pigmentation. If severe, ulcers and skin
wasting can develop. People are encouraged to wear compression stockings or bandages to help movement of the blood and the veins can be treated by surgery. Drugs such as natural flavonoids extracted from plants and similar synthetic products may be effective in improving blood flow. This review looked at the evidence from randomised controlled clinical trials comparing these drugs to an inactive treatment, generally over one to three months.
There was evidence from thirteen studies (involving 1245 people), that these drugs reduce puffiness (oedema). Some evidence was found for benefit on skin trophic disorders and restless legs but how relevant these findings are to overall clinical state is not clear. Gastrointestinal disorders were the most frequently reported adverse events in the studies that provided this information.