Horse Chestnut and leg veins
What 3 graded rows on horse chestnut agree on for leg veins, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.
Consensus finder Rows from the Horse Chestnut page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides
What the rows agree on
Each block and row is one graded row from the Horse Chestnut page, with its PubMed record.
Your question
Horse Chestnut and leg veins
3 rows · 782 peopleThey agree: all 3 rows found an improvement.
- BGrade B× 1
- CGrade C× 1
- DGrade D× 1
- Rows
- 3
- Trials
- 3
- At least: a review without a trial count
- People
- 782
- Pooled reviews may count some twice
What the rows share
From the rowsThe best-graded row, grade B, is a meta-analysis of 502 people (2012) and found an improvement.
The rows run from 40 to 502 people, published from 1992 to 2012: 1 pooled review and 2 single studies.
The rows
3 improved- BGrade BLeg volume and leg pain in chronic venous insufficiency · Improved
Meta-analysis · n 502 · 2012 · Adults with chronic venous insufficiency (17 RCTs in the review; leg volume pooled from 6 placebo-controlled trials)
Doses varied across trials; not given in the abstract · Short term (trials up to about 12 weeks per NCCIH)
Leg volume fell by about 32 mL more than placebo (6 trials, 502 people). Six of seven placebo-controlled trials reported less leg pain. Adverse events were usually mild and infrequent; the authors call for larger, definitive trials.
Row on the Horse Chestnut page · PubMed 23152216 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CLower-leg swelling compared with compression stockings · Improved
RCT · n 240 · 1996 · Patients with chronic venous insufficiency
50 mg aescin twice daily · 12 weeks
Lower-leg volume fell by 43.8 mL with the extract and 46.7 mL with class II compression stockings, while it rose by 9.8 mL with placebo; both were better than placebo and judged equivalent. Both were well tolerated.
Row on the Horse Chestnut page · PubMed 8569363 (opens PubMed)
- DGrade DLeg swelling in chronic deep vein incompetence · Improved
RCT · n 40 · 1992 · Patients with venous edema from chronic deep vein incompetence
Not stated in the abstract · Not stated in the abstract
Leg volume measured by hydroplethysmography fell significantly more with the extract than with placebo, including after provoked swelling; the preparation was well tolerated.
Row on the Horse Chestnut page · PubMed 1621440 (opens PubMed)