President diagnosed with 'chronic venous insufficiency'
The vein disorder has given Trump swollen ankles and visible bruising on his hands
What happened
President Donald Trump was examined by physicians after he reported noticing swelling in his legs several weeks ago. And he has now been diagnosed with "chronic venous insufficiency," a fairly common vein disorder that affects approximately 1 in 20 adults, the White House announced Thursday.
Who said what
Doctors found "no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press briefing Thursday. The president's lab work was all "within normal limits."
Trump's diagnosis is a "pretty normal part of aging," particularly for someone in the "overweight to obese category, which is where the president has always been," Harvard Medical School Professor Dr. Jeremy Faust said to CNN. The White House's announcement follows a "spate of online speculation" over the president's swollen ankles and visible bruising on his hands, said Politico. Reading from a note attributed to Capt. Sean Barbabella, the president's personal physician, Leavitt said the bruising was the result of "frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin."
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What next?
Trump "remains in excellent health," and his aspirin usage is part of a "standard cardiovascular prevention regimen," said Leavitt. Treatment for chronic venous insufficiency can include "weight loss, exercise, elevation, compression socks and, in some cases, medicines or minor procedures," said CBS. Surgical interventions can also be an option in "severe cases."
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