CNN
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President Donald Trump was examined for swelling in his legs and has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, the White House announced Thursday.
Trump, 79, underwent a “comprehensive examination, including diagnostic vascular studies” with the White House Medical Unit, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, reading a note from the president’s physician, Capt. Sean Barbabella.
Barbabella’s letter, which was later released by the White House, states that “bilateral lower extremity venous Doppler ultrasounds were performed and revealed chronic venous insufficiency, a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70.”
The examination came after Trump had “noted mild swelling in his lower legs” over recent weeks, Leavitt said.
“Importantly, there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or arterial disease” and Trump’s lab testing was all “within normal limits,” according to the letter. Trump also underwent an echocardiogram. “No signs of heart failure, renal impairment, or systemic illness were identified,” Barbabella wrote.
Chronic venous insufficiency is a condition in which valves inside certain veins don’t work the way they should, which can allow 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,” Dr. Jeremy Faust, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Harvard Medical School, told CNN.
“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.”
Chronic venous insufficiency can be related to conditions like increased pressure from the heart or sleep apnea, cardiologist Dr. Bernard Ashby told CNN.
“Even though he’s diagnosed with a benign condition, venous insufficiency, by itself doesn’t necessarily mean it’s benign. The question is, what’s causing the venous insufficiency? And so I would want to know whether or not he has any evidence of, again, increased pressures in the heart or increased pressures in the lungs, which can be contributing to that, and if so, what is the primary cause of that?”
Trump’s doctors were “covering all their bases” by screening him for heart failure, increased pressure and other conditions, he said.
Age, obesity and inactivity can all lead to the condition. “If a person is older, a person is overweight, a person is not engaging in regular physical activity or exercise, if a person is sitting or standing for prolonged amounts of time, you can get chronic venous insufficiency,” Dr. Chris Pernell told CNN.
“And while it is not life-threatening, it can be debilitating,” she added.
Leavitt later added that the president was experiencing “no discomfort.”
The press secretary also addressed bruising that has appeared on the back of the president’s hand, which she attributed to his “frequent handshaking,” plus his use of aspirin.
“This is 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,” Barbabella’s letter says.
The letter concludes that “President Trump remains in excellent health.”
Trump will become the nation’s oldest president during his second term.
CNN’s Asuka Koda contributed to this report.
This story has been updated with additional context.
