White House: Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Thursday that President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, which she called a “benign and common condition.”

Leavitt shared a note from Trump’s physician at the president’s request with reporters during a White House press briefing on Thursday.

Per Leavitt, it reads:

In recent weeks, President Trump noted mild swelling in his lower legs. In keeping with routine medical care, and out of an abundance of caution, this concern was thoroughly evaluated by the White House medical unit. The President underwent a comprehensive examination, including diagnostic vascular studies. 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. Importantly, there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease.

There were neither signs of renal impairment, heart failure, nor “systemic illness,” according to Leavitt.

“An echocardiogram was also performed and confirmed normal cardiac structure and function. No signs of heart failure, renal impairment, or systemic illness were identified,” she read.

Results from the president’s lab tests, including a complete blood count, metabolic panel, and coagulation profile, among other tests, “were within normal limits,” per Leavitt.

Leavitt also acknowledged bruising on the top of the president’s hand, which she said stems from frequent handshaking and aspirin use.

“This is consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen. This is a well-known and benign side effect of aspirin therapy,” she said.

Johns Hopkins Medicine states that chronic venous insufficiency “is not a serious health threat,” though it can cause pain. The condition is when veins in the leg have trouble returning blood to the heart, causing swelling in the legs, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Leavitt said that Trump “remains in excellent health.”