U.S. President Donald Trump recently had a medical checkup after noticing “mild swelling” in his lower legs and was found to have a condition common in older adults that causes blood to pool in his veins, the White House said Thursday.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said tests by the White House medical unit showed that Trump has chronic venous insufficiency, which occurs when little valves inside the veins that normally help move blood against gravity gradually lose the ability to work properly. Leavitt also addressed bruising on the back of Trump’s hand, seen in recent photos covered by makeup that was not an exact match to his skin tone. During her press briefing, Leavitt said her disclosure of Trump’s medical checkup was meant to dispel recent speculation about the 79-year-old Republican president’s health. Nonetheless, the announcement was notable given that Trump has routinely kept secret basic facts about his health.
Trump in April had a comprehensive physical exam with more than a dozen medical specialists. The three-page report released then by the White House did not include a finding of chronic venous insufficiency. At the time, his doctor determined that the president’s joints and muscles had a full range of motion, with normal blood flow and no swelling.