The White House announced that President Trump has received a new health diagnosis following noticeable swelling in his legs.
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CNN reports that during the White House briefing on Thursday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt read a note from the president’s physician, Capt. Sean Barbabella, who revealed that Trump has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency.
Barbabella revealed the world leader underwent a “comprehensive examination, including diagnostic vascular studies.” He also stated, “Bilateral lower extremity venous Doppler ultrasounds were performed and revealed chronic venous insufficiency.”
The physician pointed out that the condition is a “benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70.”
Leavitt then said the examination came after President Trump had “noted mild swelling in his lower legs” over recent weeks.
“Importantly, there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or arterial disease,” Leavitt said. Per Barbabella’s letter, Trump’s lab testing was all “within normal limits.”
Along with announcing the health diagnosis, Barbabella stated that President Trump underwent an echocardiogram. “No signs of heart failure, renal impairment, or systemic illness were identified,” he added.
Leavitt said that the president was experiencing “no discomfort.” She also addressed the bruising that appeared on the back of his hand. She claimed his “frequent handshaking” and use of aspirin were key attributes.
“This is consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and use of aspirin,” she said. “Which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen.”
Harvard Medical School Professor Calls President Trump’s Health Diagnosis “Not Alarming”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) occurs when the leg veins become damaged and are unable to function properly. The condition damages valves in the leg veins that keep blood flowing back to the heart. It also causes blood to pool in your leg veins, resulting in high pressure within those veins.
“This increases pressure in your leg veins and causes symptoms like swelling and ulcers,” the Clinic states.
Approximately 150,000 people are diagnosed with the condition each year. Symptoms include swelling in the lower legs or ankles, aching or cramping in the legs, varicose veins, and pain or changes to the skin.
Dr. Jeremy Faust, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Harvard Medical School, spoke to CNN about President Trump’s new health diagnosis.
“It’s basically not alarming information,” he said. “And it’s not surprising. 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.”
Cardiologist Dr. Bernard Ashby also told CNN that the key issue is determining what is causing the condition. “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,” he continued. “Which can be contributing to that, and if so, what is the primary cause of that?”
He noted that age, obesity, and inactivity can lead to the condition.