US President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with a chronic but benign vein condition after seeking medical examination for swollen legs, the White House said Thursday, July 17.
The presidential physician found Trump, 79, has “chronic venous insufficiency,” a condition where damaged leg veins fail to keep blood flowing properly – Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, calling it a “benign and common condition”.
Responding to speculation over recent photos showing bruising on Trump’s hand, Leavitt said “this was consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen”.
Reading Barbabella’s note, Leavitt said there was “no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease,” and that Trump’s lab testing was all “within normal limits.” Trump also underwent an echocardiogram, which found “no signs of heart failure, renal impairment, or systemic illness,” she said.
Chronic venous insufficiency is a condition in which valves inside certain veins don’t work the way they should, which can allow some of the blood to pool or collect in the veins. About 150,000 people are diagnosed with it each year, and the risk goes up with age. Symptoms can include swelling in the lower legs or ankles, aching or cramping in the legs, varicose veins, pain or skin changes. Treatment may involve medication or, in later stages, medical procedures.
“It’s basically not alarming information, and it’s not surprising,” said Dr. Jeremy Faust, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Harvard Medical School.
“This is a pretty normal part of aging, and especially for someone in the overweight to obese category, which is where the president has always been. But the bigger concern … is that symptoms like this do need to be evaluated for more serious conditions, and that is what happened.”
Leavitt later added that the president was experiencing “no discomfort.” She deferred to a forthcoming letter from Barbabella regarding treatment for the condition.
