So, what is chronic venous insufficiency?
Donald Trump’s attendance at the FFA Club World Cup Final drew headlines for many reasons, including his incredibly swollen ankles. Now his medical condition has been revealed.
The murmurs started as soon as a rather unflattering photograph of US President Donald Trump appeared online showing he had significantly swollen ankles.
The photo was taken from a screen shot during the FIFA Club World Cup Final on July 13 between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, which the president attended with The First Lady.
The swelling was undeniable and his legs looked heavy and painful. It followed months of speculation about bruising and discolouration on Mr Trump’s hands which sometimes appeared to be covered up with make-up.
In response, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt on Friday revealed the president had undergone medical examinations, which included ultrasounds of his legs, and been diagnosed “chronic venous insufficiency”, which she attributed as the cause of his swollen legs and ankles.
Bruising on his hands, she noted, was tissue irritation – a consequence of “frequent hand-shaking” and the use of aspirin as part of a standard cardiovascular treatment. Ms Leavitt described both conditions as benign.
“In recent weeks, President Trump noted mild swelling in his lower legs,” Ms Leavitt said, adding that he was examined by White House doctors “out of an abundance of caution.”
The White House then released a letter from the president’s treating physician, US Navy officer physician Sean Barbabella.
“The President underwent a comprehensive examination, including diagnostic vascular studies,” he wrote.
“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.”
Mr Trump is 79 years old.
Chronic venous insufficiency happens when the veins in your legs are impaired, causing venous hypertension. Essentially, your veins don’t allow enough blood to flow back to your heart which causes blood to pool in your legs.
The condition can be incredibly uncomfortable and may cause pain when walking, swelling in the legs or ankles, cramps, leg heaviness and even restless legs syndrome.
While it is not considered to be a “serious” condition, Johns Hopkins notes “it can be painful and disabling”.
The cause of chronic venous insufficiency is varied and can affect people who are pregnant as well as those who are overweight or inactive, and people who have certain genetic factors or injury. It can also be the result of other lifestyle factors including smoking.
Left untreated, the condition can become progressive and lead to more serious conditions like leg ulcers and postphlebitic syndrome.
Treatments for the condition will depend on the patient and the underlying cause. However, the overall goal is to improve blood flow. For that, compression stockings, elevating your legs and movement can help.
Diuretics may also be used to reduce fluid retention, unless the patient has certain heart or kidney diseases which could also be contributing or causing the problem.
In extreme cases, severe cases may require vein stripping surgery.
Dr Barbabella said there was no evidence Mr Trump had experienced heart failure, kidney impairment, or systemic illness.
“Importantly, there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease,” he said before adding a summary that read “President Trump remains in excellent health.”
Dr Matt Heinz, an internist and hospitalist from Tucson, Arizona said chronic venous insufficiency was “pretty common,” especially in older adults.
“It comes with age, gravity, and obesity doesn’t help if that’s a condition that people suffer from. I know the president’s been losing some weight, though, so I think that’s probably a little better,” he said.
Dr Gregory Magee, chief of vascular and endovascular surgery at NYU Langone Health in New York City agreed, saying she had seen around five patients with the condition in one day.
“It’s a normal part of ageing that our veins could become damaged,” she said.
“The vast majority of the time it’s not a big deal.”
Mr Trump frequently boasts of his good health and energy levels while the administration recently even posted an image depicting him as Superman.
Mr Trump has alleged that Democrats covered up the mental and physical decline of his predecessor, Joe Biden, who was 82 when he left office in January.
With AP, AFP, Dow Jones
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