A standardized natural treatment for edema in chronic venous insufficiency (CVI): Researchers conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel, double-blind study on 40 patients suffering from venous edema (swelling) in chronic deep-vein incompetence, a condition in which the veins do not return blood from the legs to the heart well and is associated with leg swelling, leg pain, and itching. Participants received with 75 mg escin twice daily (Escin is an extract of horse chestnut) or placebo. Compared with placebo, horse chestnut significantly reduced edema, determined by measurements of leg volume and leg circumference. With measurements of leg volume before and after provoking edema, the clinical benefits of horse chestnut appeared to be present in all everyday situations, whether in movement or in sitting or standing. (5)
