Page 40 - HME Business, October 2017

When it comes to buying compression products, the vast majority of sales are from women. Here’s what you need to know to target this important demographic.
By Joseph Duffy
THE MARKET TO TARGET: WOMEN AND COMPRESSION
In business, you prioritize the portion of your customers that generate the lion’s share of your revenue. Often it’s referred to as the 80/20 rule, meaning the
20 percent of your market that generates 80 percent of your business. While that’s a rule of thumb, it’s almost exact when it comes to compression, as one segment of the market generates the overwhelming majority of the market.
Compression products, such as hosiery, socks and arm sleeves, offer many benefits for patients, from providing simple relief for tired and achy legs to helping to prevent severe varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Both men and women use compression products, but women are the prominent demographic.
“In 2017, women account for approximately 70 percent of SIGVARIS’ year- to-date sales,” says Matt Howard, Director of Sales, SIGVARIS. “We believe women purchase more compression garments than men because women have a higher rate of incident of CVI [chronic venous insufficiency]. Also, more women than men get their legs treated at vein centers.”
Other reasons women use compression more than men include pregnancy and breast cancer. Nikki Jensen, vice president of Essentially Women, says there is compression hosiery that targets some of the discom- fits of pregnancy, while breast cancer survivors are at risk of developing lymphedema due to lymph nodes possibly damaged by cancer treatment.
“Breast cancer survivors will need compression therapy for affected limbs,” she says. “The most common off-the-shelf compression garments are arm sleeves and stockings. With progression of their condition, custom- made compression garments may be necessary.”
WOMEN-SPECIFIC COMPRESSION NEEDS
Saskia Handschin, medical marketing and educational manager for SIGVARIS, discussed why compression is helpful for pregnancy and DVT prevention.
“Pregnancy requires compression due to various factors, including hormonal changes and increased blood volume, which can cause women to develop edema and varicose veins during pregnancy,” she says. “Thirty percent of women who are pregnant for the first time and 55 percent of women who have had two or more full-term pregnancies develop varicose veins.”
For DVT prevention, she says compression is required due to hormonal changes that can lead to the development of blood clots. This can happen during pregnancy or from taking birth control pills. She says it is estimated
that pregnant women have a four times higher risk of developing a DVT during pregnancy than the non-pregnant population.
Handschin recommended wearing 15-20 mmHg compression for prevention. Symptoms that call for 15-20 mmHg include tired, achy legs; evening or occupational edema; spider veins; and mild varicose veins.
She also says wearing 20-30 mmHg is appropriate for treatment,
but physicians usually write prescriptions for these products. Wearing graduated compression during pregnancy can help prevent leg swelling, varicose veins, and spider veins.
“Wearing SIGVARIS compression provides a graduated pressure that is more firm at the ankle and the compression lessens as the sock or stocking goes up the leg,” she says. “This graduation aids in improved blood flow back to the heart, preventing DVTs. Without graduated compression, gravity and pressure make it difficult for the blood to flow in an upward direction.”
WHAT TO STOCK: POPULAR ITEMS FOR WOMEN
According to Tom Musone, Director of Marketing, Juzo, the most popular compression garment style is the knee-high stocking. Howard also says that regarding women’s compression garment sales so far in 2017, SIGVARIS’s knee-high sales were considerably higher than thigh or pantyhose.
“Knee-high stockings are easier to put on and a bit more comfortable than thigh highs or full pantyhose lengths,” says Musone. “Knee highs support the calf muscle, which has a critical role in pumping blood back to the heart. Compression helps promote that circulation while women are walking or standing.”
Musone says most women wear compression stockings due to chronic venous disease. He says:
• 25 million to 30 million Americans have some type of venous disease.
• The majority of women impacted are between ages 40 and 80, and the disease is more common as patients get older.
• Women are three times more likely than men to develop the disease.
• 30 percent of women will develop venous insufficiency during their first pregnancy and the risk increases with each pregnancy.
Per Jensen’s point earlier, Musone also says most women wear compression arm sleeves due to lymphedema from breast cancer:
• Two out of five breast cancer patients will develop lymphedema within
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