Health Hotline Magazine | April 2026

Varicose Veins, Hemorrhoids, and… Cardiovascular Disease?

Even in healthy people, sitting for long periods of time can lead to swelling and discomfort in the legs. Research has found that grape seed extract reduced leg swelling in healthy women with self-reported swelling due to long periods of sitting at work (six hours) and that Pycnogenol taken before, during, and after a long flight, led to significantly less swelling in the legs in people with a mild to moderate risk of developing a blood clot, compared to placebo. A study published late in 2025 investigated Pycnogenol’s effect on lipedema, which mostly affects women and is characterized by abnormal fat accumulation in the legs, accompanied with swelling, heaviness, pain, bruising, and tenderness. And while not life threatening, it has physical and emotional impacts and can negatively affect mobility and self-esteem. This placebo-controlled trial included 93 women who were diagnosed with lipedema. Half of the women took 50mg of Pycnogenol every eight hours, while the other half took a placebo. At the end of 60 days, the women taking the Pycnogenol experienced a significant reduction in lipedema-related symptoms, including pain and tenderness, bruising, heaviness and fatigue, swelling, and skin irritation and itching, while the placebo group saw worsening symptoms. The researchers concluded, “As a result of the improvement in each symptom, there was a substantial enhancement in the patients’ quality of life, positively reflecting on their own overall well-being and self-esteem.” In general, OPCs support overall vascular function, blood vessel tone and strength, and circulation, leading us to their cardiovascular benefits…

These health issues may seem worlds apart, but they all arise from dysfunction in the vascular system, the body’s network of blood vessels, and this is where OPCs really shine. OPCs’ powerful antioxidant effects, along with their anti-inflammatory actions, make them uniquely suited to support vascular health. They have been shown to improve circulation; reduce the occurrence of blood clots; protect the inner lining of blood vessels, the endothelium, from oxidative damage; and strengthen blood vessel walls by inhibiting the breakdown of collagen and elastin, major structural components that give blood vessels their strength and elasticity.

One of the most well documented uses of OPCs is in people with venous insufficiency, a condition in which blood pools in the legs, causing aching pain, heaviness, swelling, and varicose veins. One placebo controlled study including 40 patients with chronic venous insufficiency found that 100mg of Pycnogenol three times daily for two months significantly reduced

heaviness, swelling, and leg discomfort and/or pain associated with venous insufficiency. Approximately 60 percent of the patients taking Pycnogenol “experienced a complete disappearance of edema … and pain at the end of treatment, while almost all the patients reported a reduction in leg heaviness…”

OPCs Just Make Sense for Cardiovascular Health

and abnormal thickening of the carotid artery wall. The participants had ultrasound measurements of this artery when the study began and again at six, 12, and 24 months. By the end of the study, people taking grape seed extract saw significant decreases in the development of plaque in their carotid arteries, as well as significant decreases in carotid artery thickness, with the benefits increasing over the course of the study (there was a 10.9% decrease in plaque at six months; a 24% decrease at 12 months, and a 33% decrease at 24 months). The people taking the grape seed extract also saw “lower rates of clinical vascular events.”

in the blood vessels. NO is a molecule that relaxes and widens blood vessels and is anti inflammatory—it is critical for healthy blood pressure and overall cardiovascular health. In one two-year study, researchers investigated the effects of grape seed extract on carotid artery plaque and thickening of the artery wall (signs of atherosclerosis, aka, “hardening of the arteries”). The study included 287 people who were divided into two groups: the first group were instructed to take 200mg of grape seed extract daily for two years, while the control group were enrolled in a lifestyle intervention program (e.g., diet, exercise). All of the participants had signs of plaque in their carotid arteries

With their powerful effects on the vascular system, OPCs’ benefits naturally extend to the cardiovascular system. Along with their ability to strengthen blood vessels, improve circulation, and reduce inflammation and oxidative damage, OPCs have also been shown to reduce atherosclerotic plaque and support healthy blood pressure. Research using both grape seed extract and Pycnogenol, or pine bark extract, has shown that they improve “flow-mediated dilation,” a measure of the blood vessels’ ability to relax in response to increased blood flow, which means better blood pressure. One way in which OPCs have this effect is their ability to increase nitric oxide (NO)

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