NEED TO KNOW
President Donald Trump was back at the doctor this week, though the White House assured he was cleared of major health issues.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters about his unexpected physical exam during her briefing on Thursday, July 17, explaining that after the president noticed recent swelling in his legs, he got evaluated by the White House Medical Unit.
“I know that many in the media have been speculating about bruising on the president’s hand and also swelling in the president’s legs,” Leavitt said, “so in the effort of transparency, the president wanted me to share a note from his physician with you today.”
The note, signed by presidential physician Sean Barbabella, 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.”
Image Photo Agency/Getty; AP Photo/Matt Slocum
Barbabella listed a variety of tests that were performed and revealed that Trump, 79, was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, which he describes as a “benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70.”
The physician concluded that despite Trump’s new diagnosis, “The president remains in excellent health.”
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According to the Cleveland Clinic, “Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a form of venous disease that occurs when veins in your legs are damaged. As a result, these veins can’t manage blood flow as well as they should, and it’s harder for blood in your legs to return to your heart. CVI causes blood to pool in your leg veins, leading to high pressure in those veins.”
CVI is common, affecting about one in 20 adults, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It can be caused by deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or any other changes to the veins that prevent them from working properly. Trump was ultimately cleared of DVT, according to Barbabella.
The CVI diagnosis comes a few days after photos of Trump at the FIFA Club World Cup went viral over the weekend. The president watched the championship game between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain in a private box at MetLife Stadium with first lady Melania Trump, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, and Infantino’s wife, Leena Al Ashqar.
While seated, the president’s pant legs rode up, and photos captured his ankles looking swollen, which may have prompted the medical speculation.
Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty
On Wednesday, Trump also appeared to once again be covering up a large bruise on his hand.
The president welcomed Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain outside the White House, and photos from their handshake show what appears to be makeup on the back of his right hand.
MEHMET ESER/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty
Trump’s hand bruise and makeup cover-up also went viral back in February, in photos from a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
When asked about the bruise at the time, Leavitt told reporters, “President Trump has bruises on his hand because he’s constantly working and shaking hands all day every day.”
Barbabella’s note on Thursday addressed the bruising more formally, saying that it 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.”
