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The article is devoted to etiopathogenesis, principles of diagnostics and treatment of chronic edema of the extremities associated with the pathology of the venous and lymphatic system. The authors emphasize the need for adequate compression therapy at all stages of treatment, with an emphasis on the usefulness of innovative flat-knit compression knitwear.

Chronic venous disease (CVD) is the most common vascular pathology that has a significant negative effect on physical and psychological health outcomes, and requires high level of public spending on healthcare. Number of CVD risk factors has been identified in recent decades, but only recently have the experts begun to discuss the role of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Modern knowledge enables us to identify several priority strategies and goals aimed at managing the basic pathophysiological mechanisms of the development and progression of CVD. In particular, the use of venoactive drugs, which role in enhancing vascular tone and contractility, reducing inflammation and edema and improving microcirculation and accelerating the healing of venous leg ulcers has been carefully studied and presented with positive outcomes in various publications. This review provides various pathophysiological mechanisms of the development of CVD, which present the targets for venoactive drug therapies.

The 19th Annual Meeting of the European Venous Forum held in the city of Athens in 28-30 June 2018 presented the long-awaited updated guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic venous diseases (CVD), the full text of which can be found in the June issue of International Angiology Journal. This publication aims at acquainting practitioners with one of the key sections of the new European guidelines devoted to the pharmacotherapy of CVD.