Donald Trump has been diagnosed with a long-term ailment.
Here is what that implies. The White House says that Trump has chronic venous insufficiency.
On Thursday, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt talked to reporters and said that the diagnosis was a common and harmless disease that usually affects older people.
She read from a letter from Trump’s doctor that indicated it was a condition in which damaged veins stop blood from flowing normally.
She also stressed that Trump’s test results were good, saying that his heart structure and function were normal and that he showed no evidence of heart failure, kidney problems, or systemic sickness.
There was also “no evidence” of more significant circulation problems, including “deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease.”
The bruises on the president’s hand were said to be normal for someone who shakes hands a lot and takes aspirin as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention plan.
What is chronic venous insufficiency, and how bad is it?
Experts say that chronic venous insufficiency is when the veins in your legs have trouble sending blood back to your heart, which causes it to pool in your legs.
Dr. Rajendra Prasad, a vascular surgeon at Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru, told the Indian Express that chronic venous insufficiency is when the walls or valves in your leg veins don’t let blood flow back up to your heart. Blood flows downward, which might cause it to pool in your legs.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) says that damage to the venous valves can cause symptoms like swelling, discomfort, skin discoloration, itching, heaviness, and edema in the legs. If you don’t address it, it might make your life worse and potentially cause venous ulcers. Every year, almost 150,000 Americans are told they have it for the first time.
The disorder isn’t directly linked to heart disease, but it does cause pain and skin problems. But the things that make these problems more likely to happen, such as becoming older, having high blood pressure, being overweight, having diabetes, and not being active, can be the same.
According to a study from Mainz University in Germany, people with chronic venous insufficiency are around 60% more likely to have significant heart disease than people who don’t have it.
Diagnosis, Treatment, and Way of Life
Doctors usually use Doppler ultrasound to check blood flow, find valve problems, and look for any clots to confirm the disease. Some treatments are drugs that help veins work better, compression stockings, and adjustments to your daily routine. Patients are told to stay active and not sit or stand for lengthy periods of time.
Laser ablation or “vein glue” are examples of minimally invasive techniques that can seal off damaged veins when more serious treatment is needed. These are seen to be better options than older ones like vein stripping and ligation because they help people heal faster.
Why It Matters, Especially in Politics
Trump is the oldest president in U.S. history at 79.
His health has been a hot-button political issue, especially during his 2024 re-election campaign, when he often lambasted then-President Joe Biden’s age and “cognitive decline.”
Biden, who is three years older, abandoned his campaign in July, giving Kamala Harris the chance to run for the Democratic nomination. However, she later lost to Trump.
Leavitt’s statement said that Trump’s diagnosis shouldn’t worry anyone because all of the results are “within normal limits.” But when asked about particular treatment plans, she said she would leave it up to Trump’s doctor. She said, “We’ll let the doctor handle that.”
It’s not mandatory for U.S. presidents to make their medical records public, but it’s now anticipated.
In 2015, Trump’s personal doctor, Harold Bornstein, made headlines when he said Trump would be the healthiest person ever elected president. Later, Bornstein said that Trump wrote the statement himself.
In the end
According to official reports, Trump’s chronic venous insufficiency is a controllable vascular illness that is linked to getting older but not heart disease or blood clots. His doctors say there is “no evidence” of a major illness because his test results are stable and he takes aspirin regularly.