The White House on Thursday said President Trump underwent medical testing due to “mild swelling” in his legs, unveiling a vein condition that is common in those older than 70.
In a press briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt shared a note from Trump’s physician that described the exam. The president went through ultrasounds and a “comprehensive exam,” which included a diagnostic vascular study.
The exam found that the president, who is 79, has chronic venous insufficiency. The condition occurs when someone’s leg veins have a difficult time pumping blood back to the heart, causing blood to pool, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Here are five things to know about the president’s chronic venous insufficiency:
Chronic venous insufficiency is a common condition
According to Cleveland Clinic, about 5 percent of adults experience chronic venous insufficiency, with those 50 and older generally being impacted by it.
Johns Hopkins University also states that overweight and pregnant people, as well as those with “a family history of” chronic venous insufficiency and those who experience leg wounding “due to injury, surgery, or previous blood clots,” more commonly deal with the condition.
How is chronic venous insufficiency diagnosed?
A diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency can come from a duplex ultrasound, used “for assessing blood flow and structure of the leg veins,” or through magnetic resonance venography, “a diagnostic procedure that produces detailed, three-dimensional images,” according to the University of California, Davis.
How is chronic venous insufficiency treated?
Leg elevation, regular exercise, blood flow-raising medicines and compression stockings are among some treatments for chronic venous insufficiency, according to Johns Hopkins.
The university also said that surgery “is done in severe cases,” with a surgery named ligation possibly being performed.
“The affected vein is tied off so that blood no longer flows through it,” Johns Hopkins said on their website of ligation. “If the vein or its valves are heavily damaged, the vein will be removed. This is called vein stripping.”
Trump’s prior health
In April, the president went through his annual physical exam. His physician, in a memo, declared Trump was in “excellent health.”
“President Trump exhibits excellent cognitive and physical health and is fully fit to execute the duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State,” White House physician Sean Barbabella wrote, also saying that the president’s heart function was “normal.”
In Trump’s first term, he was hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center with COVID-19 in October 2020.
In 2021, The New York Times reported that Trump had been sicker than previously reported. When he was hospitalized, the president had severely depressed blood oxygen levels, and officials worried he would have to go on a ventilator, according to the Times, who cited two people familiar with the matter.
Aging presidents and health issues
Trump’s diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency is not uncommon among people his age.
He is the second oldest president in U.S. history, with former President Biden being the first.
In July 2024, after Biden turned in a rough debate performance against Trump, concerns about his age and mental fitness quickly arose. Biden’s White House physician released a letter indicating he had seen a range of specialists, including a neurology consultant, during his time in the White House. Biden was declared fit to serve.
The former president, who had already been facing questions about his age prior to the debate, dropped out of the race and was replaced on the ticket by former Vice President Kamala Harris, who ultimately lost to Trump in November.
During the 2024 race, Harris’s campaign targeted Trump’s age, with Harris commenting on interview cancellations by her Republican rival.
