With the 80th birthday of Donald Trump looming, the former president has a new health headline to call his own. This one, for a change, is not about the campaign trail, but the circulatory system. Chronic venous insufficiency is a condition that affects older adults, in which the veins in the legs have difficulty recirculating blood efficiently. The discovery came after a few weeks of swelling in Trump's lower legs, prompting a comprehensive vascular workup at the White House.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt read from the medical memo signed by Capt. Sean Barbabella, the president's doctor, confirmed that Trump underwent a complete, comprehensive examination, including vascular imaging and Doppler ultrasounds. The scans showed the chronic condition in both of his legs, although there were no signs of more serious issues such as deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease.
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The 79-year-old also had an echocardiogram, essentially a heart test, that was clear for heart failure, kidney trouble, or any other systemic illness. "All lab results were reported as within normal limits," the memo stated.
It may sound daunting, but chronic venous insufficiency is something that affects about 150,000 Americans a year, particularly those over 70. The condition occurs when the valves in the leg veins fail to function correctly, resulting in a diminished ability for blood to return to the heart. Instead, it collects in the legs, causing swelling, fatigue, and sometimes aching or changes to the skin. Although it doesn't cause death, the condition can be uncomfortable and possibly debilitating over time.
"It's a fairly typical aspect of aging," said Dr. Jeremy Faust, an emergency medicine physician at Harvard Medical School. "Especially for one who is in that overweight to obese category, and that is where the president has been consistently."
Even so, other experts emphasized that, although the diagnosis is officially considered "benign," it's not something to be dismissed entirely. "Venous insufficiency in and of itself does not mean that it is benign," cautioned Dr. Bernard Ashby, a cardiologist. "The question is, what's driving it?"
The causes aren't challenging to identify: age, weight, prolonged periods of standing or sitting, and a sedentary lifestyle, all of which potentially apply to the ex-president. But even if the disease isn't inherently dangerous, it does require attention and care, said public health doctor Dr. Chris Pernell.
Also in that update, Leavitt explained Trump's recently appeared bruising on the back of his hand as resulting from "daily handshaking" and also aspirin usage as part of his ongoing cardiovascular maintenance program.
Yet despite the diagnosis, Barbic's letter closed with a hopeful coda: "President Trump is in very good health."
Three weeks shy of the big 80, Trump just became the oldest president in the history of the United States, further confirming that for every political heavy hitter, the clock continues to tick.
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