What is chronic venous insufficiency? Is President Trump’s condition fatal?
President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, the White House said on Thursday.
U.S. President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, the White House press secretary has revealed.
In a statement today, Karoline Leavitt insisted that Trump “remains in excellent health” despite the diagnosis, which came after the 79-year-old had noticed “mild swelling” in his lower legs.
Leavitt described chronic venous insufficiency as a “benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70”.
She added: “Importantly, there was no evidence of deep-vein thrombosis or arterial disease.”
What is chronic venous insufficiency?
Per Penn Medicine, chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is “a condition in which veins have problems moving blood back to the heart”, and most commonly affects veins in the legs.
In addition to leg swelling, symptoms of CVI include: aching, cramping or a tingling sensation in the legs; visible varicose veins; and pain that grows more acute when you stand up.
“Over time, as the veins become increasingly weak, they have more trouble sending blood to the heart,” Penn Medicine explains.
“Tiny valves in the veins can fail. As a result, blood pools in the lower limbs, causing pain, leg swelling and other circulation problems.”
CVI affects about one in 20 adults in the U.S., according to the Cleveland Clinic. The condition is particularly prevalent among people who are overweight, are in or beyond middle age, and lead a sedentary lifestyle, adds Penn Medicine.
Ways of treating CVI include seeking weight loss, with physical exercise key to shedding the pounds and improving blood flow. Wearing compression stockings can also aid circulation.
In severe cases, doctors may recommend what Penn Medicine describes as “minimally invasive” surgery.
“Not alarming information”
Speaking to CNN, a medical expert said Trump’s CVI diagnosis is “not surprising”, given the president’s weight issues - but is also “not alarming information”.
“This is a pretty normal part of aging, and especially for someone in the overweight to obese category, which is where the president has always been,” said Dr. Jeremy Faust, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Faust added: “Symptoms like this do need to be evaluated for more serious conditions, and that is what happened.”
How overweight is President Trump? What is his BMI?
In April this year, the White House released results of an annual check-up of Trump’s health, which placed his weight at 224 pounds.
That gives the 6’3” president a body mass index (BMI) of 28.0, which puts him in the ‘overweight’ category. A BMI of 30.0 or over qualifies as obese, while a rating between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered healthy.
After Trump’s check-up this spring, White House physician Dr. Sean Barbabella maintained that the president is “fully fit to execute the duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State”.
Dr. Barbabella declared that Trump exhibits “robust cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, and general physical function”.
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