The disease

White House, Trump has chronic venous insufficiency

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt revealed that Donald Trump has had swelling in his lower legs assessed, stating that it is a benign condition. The doctor: 'He remains in excellent health'

17 July 2025

La mano del presidente degli Usa Donald Trump con una evidente macchia di colore più chiaro mentre saluta il principe ereditario del Bahrein Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa alla Casa Bianca (Foto di ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)

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Key points

"Stay in excellent health"
More than a dozen specialists
Anxiety

3' min read

White House spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, reading the letter from the president's doctor, revealed that Donald Trump had swelling in his lower legs assessed, stating that it is a benign condition, a chronic venous insufficiency, while a slight bruise on his hand is consistent with frequent handshaking. Heart functions, he assured, are normal. Leavitt thus responded to photos in the media showing Trump's swollen ankles and bruises on his hands.

"Stay in excellent health"

"In recent weeks, President Trump has noticed slight swelling in his lower legs and, as a precaution, has undergone" a thorough series of medical examinations: "Trump remains in excellent health." This was said by the president's doctor, Sean P. Barbabella, in a letter published by the White House. Tests revealed 'chronic venous insufficiency. However, there were no indications of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease'.

The spokeswoman said that tests carried out by the White House medical unit showed that Trump suffers from chronic venous insufficiency, which occurs when the small valves inside his veins, which normally help circulate blood against gravity, gradually lose their ability to function properly.

Leavitt also mentioned the bruises on the back of Trump's hand, visible in recent photos and covered by make-up that did not exactly match his skin tone. She said the bruises were 'consistent' with irritation caused by his 'frequent handshakes and aspirin use'. Trump takes aspirin to reduce his risk of heart attack and stroke.

More than a dozen specialists

During his press conference, he stated that the disclosure of Trump's medical check-up was intended to dispel recent speculation about the 79-year-old president's health. Nevertheless, the announcement was noteworthy, as the Republican president has systematically kept key details of his health secret.

In April, Trump underwent a comprehensive medical examination with more than a dozen medical specialists. The three-page report published by the White House at the time did not include a finding of chronic venous insufficiency. At the time, Trump's doctor determined that the president's joints and muscles showed complete mobility, normal blood flow, and no swelling.

Leavitt did not specify when Trump first noticed the swelling in his lower legs. As part of the president's routine medical care and out of 'excessive caution', he said he had undergone a 'comprehensive examination' that included vascular, lower limb and ultrasound examinations.

He said the tests revealed no evidence of deep vein thrombosis, a more serious medical condition in which a blood clot forms in one or more deep veins of the body, usually in the legs. Nor was there evidence of arteriopathy, he said, reading a letter from Trump's doctor.

L’apprensione

People are often advised to lose weight, walk for exercise and lift their legs periodically, and some may be advised to wear compression stockings. Severe cases, over time, can lead to complications, including ulcers in the lower legs. Blood clots are one cause, but have been ruled out, Leavitt said.

Leavitt stated that the condition was not causing the president any discomfort. He would not discuss how he was treating the condition and suggested that such details would be in the doctor's letter, which was later made public. But the letter was identical to the one he had read and included no further details.

The examination released by the White House on Thursday included other tests that found no signs of heart failure, kidney failure or systemic illness, Leavitt said. "The president remains in excellent health, which I think you all see on a daily basis here," he told reporters.