Donald Trump has a 'common' vein condition. What is chronic venous insufficiency?
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed the diagnosis by reading a letter from the 79-year-old's physician during a press briefing.
Here's what to know about the condition.
It's a condition where the veins in a person's legs have difficulty returning blood to the heart, according to the Victorian government's Better Health Channel.
Normally, small valves in the veins help the blood move against gravity, and stop blood from flowing backwards.
For people with CVI, these valves gradually lose the ability to work properly and cause blood to pool in the legs, leading to swelling.
According to the Australia and New Zealand Society for Vascular Surgery (ANZSVS), people who are overweight, physically inactive, or smokers are more likely to develop CVI.
Injuries, surgery and blood clots can also damage the legs and lead to the condition.
Ms Leavitt said Mr Trump's medical examination found no signs that he had experienced any blood clots or evidence of arterial disease.
She noted that CVI is a relatively common condition in people aged over 70, and is rarely linked to serious ailments.
In mild cases, swelling of the lower legs may be the only symptom.
Ms Leavitt confirmed the president is experiencing "mild swelling", which is what prompted him to undertake a "comprehensive exam" with the White House physician, Sean Barbabella.
In more severe cases, there are several symptoms that can present around the lower leg, according to ANZSVS:
The condition was not causing Mr Trump any discomfort, Ms Leavitt said.
"The vast majority of people, probably including our president, have a mild to moderate form of it," said Anahita Dua, a vascular surgeon at Mass General Brigham who has never treated Mr Trump.
CVI usually isn't life-threatening, but it can cause discomfort.
Dr Dua said there is no cure for CVI, but there are some treatments to help alleviate swelling.
Doctors often advise those diagnosed with CVI to lose weight and walk for exercise to improve circulation.
People with the condition can reduce the swelling by wearing medical-grade compression socks or stockings, to help the blood circulate back to the heart, Dr Dua said.
Ms Leavitt said she wouldn't discuss how Mr Trump was treating the condition.
ABC/AP
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