ORLANDO, Fla. — President Donald Trump was recently diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency. This is a common condition that occurs when leg veins have trouble sending blood to the heart.
Dr. Hazem El-Arousy, a vascular surgeon with Orlando Health, addressed what that means for the president’s day-to-day life.
“Most studies have shown that about 40% of the adult population may have chronic venous insufficiency,” he said,
The condition came up during a recent medical check-up after Trump noticed mild swelling in his lower legs. It causes blood to pool in the veins and is common in older adults, such as Trump, who is 79.
El-Arousy described it as a progressive disease that can occur with age.
“Some of the symptoms may be anything from some mild leg swelling, discomfort, heaviness. And in severe cases you can have skin discoloration, even ulcers and sores,” he said.
There were recently questions about bruising on the back of Trump’s hand. His press secretary said the bruising was consistent with irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin.
The president takes aspirin to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
“Sometimes aspirin is an anti-platelet agent, kind of a mild blood thinner, and so some patients on aspirin may bruise more easily than normal,” El-Arousy said.
Chronic venous insufficiency can be managed just as easily as heart health with things like exercise and medical-grade compression socks, but still needs to be taken seriously.
“If not managed appropriately and treated, it can progress to the more severe spectrum of things,” El-Arousy said.
Leaders with the White House say that same medical exam included other testing and found that Trump showed no signs of heart failure, renal impairment or any systemic illness.
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