Trump's chronic venous insufficiency mirrors trend in SA, says doctor
Dr Vinesh Padayachy said the condition, where blood struggles to flow back from the legs to the heart is frequently seen in South African men and women over the age of 70.
'This isn't unique to Trump. We see hundreds of patients a year with the same issue here at home. It's a progressive condition linked to ageing, sedentary lifestyle, weight gain and even genetics. In South Africa, with rising rates of obesity and diabetes, we're seeing more cases, and sometimes at younger ages.'
The White House on Thursday announced Trump underwent medical testing after he had been seen with deep bruises on his hand and swollen legs.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency.
'The president underwent a comprehensive examination including diagnostic vascular studies, bilateral lower extremity intravenous doppler ultrasounds were performed and revealed chronic venous insufficiency, a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70,' said Leavitt. Doctors ruled out any major concerns such as blood clots or cardiac issues, confirming only venous insufficiency.
Padayachy said that was an important distinction.
'The real concern would've been if it was deep vein thrombosis or signs of heart failure. But in this case, the diagnosis is straightforward and treatable.'
Symptoms often include swelling, heaviness, fatigue in the legs and, in some cases, visible varicose veins or skin darkening.
'In South Africa, especially in the public sector, many patients ignore the early signs because it seems minor until ulcers or infections develop. By then, treatment becomes more complex,' he said.
Padayachy said while photos of swelling may alarm the public, the condition does not indicate failing health.
'At Trump's age, this is expected. It doesn't suggest he's unfit or unwell. If anything, it's a wake-up call for many South Africans to take leg health seriously especially if they sit or stand for long hours without movement.'
He noted that truck drivers, teachers, factory workers and office staff are often at risk.
Treatment involves compression stockings, elevating the legs, light daily movement and avoiding long periods of sitting or standing.
'Treatment also includes minimally invasive procedures to seal off the vein that is not working. These procedures can be done in a vascular surgeons' rooms as a walk-in, walk-out procedure,' added Padayachy.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
11 hours ago
- The Citizen
Reality check for the working class: who really pays for NHI?
Both the poor and the wealthy will have to pay for NHI. It will not be as free as government makes it out to be. Do you think the working class will not pay for the National Health Insurance (NHI)? As government presses ahead with implementing the controversial fund, a difficult question needs to be asked: who will pay the real price? Contrary to popular belief, it is not the wealthy elite who will be hardest hit but South Africa's working class, Thoneshan Naidoo CEO of the Health Funders Association (HFA), warns. 'Medical scheme members are often painted as a privileged minority but the truth is very different. Of the 9.1 million South Africans on medical schemes, more than 6 million (68%) are black and up to 83% of employed members earn under R37 500 per month. 'They are teachers, nurses, police officers, civil servants and union members, the engine of South Africa's economy. These South Africans make extraordinary sacrifices to secure access to healthcare. Medical schemes are not luxury products and working families are stretching their disposable income to protect themselves and their families. 'Of the 9.1 million beneficiaries, 4.1 million are employed and form a critical part of the country's taxpayer base. In fact, medical scheme members pay an estimated 74% of South Africa's personal income tax, amounting to nearly R443 billion in government revenue. These same members also contribute significantly to VAT and other taxes.' ALSO READ: Experts warn NHI is economic suicide Free NHI at the point of service, but who pays? Government promises that the NHI will provide comprehensive, high-quality care for all – free at the point of service. But at what cost? According to an economic feasibility study by Genesis Analytics, achieving this vision would require personal income taxes to more than double. Taxes would have to increase to 2.2 times the current average rate and healthcare would consume 33% of the national budget. In less efficient scenarios this could mean tripling taxes and health expenditure consuming up to 44% of the budget. Naidoo says this is based on the unrealistic assumption that tax increases would be entirely directed to healthcare and that there would be no additional allocations for other urgent social needs such as education, social grants and service delivery. Even under a shared resources scenario, Naidoo warns that where total healthcare spending remains at today's R532 billion, personal income taxes would still have to increase by almost 50%, while taxpayers would receive substantially less. Benefit levels would be 43% to 65% lower than the promised comprehensive scenario, he says. 'In short, taxpayers would pay more and get less – less than they currently receive if they are medical scheme members and much less than what has been promised for the scope of NHI services.' ALSO READ: Health funders also heading to court about NHI Act What about section 33 of the NHI Act that prohibits medical aid? A lot has been said about section 33 of the NHI Act that the president signed last year. This section prohibits medical schemes from covering any service that the NHI claims to offer. Naidoo says this means that even if you have the means and willingness to buy private cover, you will be barred from doing so if the service is theoretically offered by the NHI. 'Rather than universal access, this is universal restriction and the result is likely to be delays, rationing and deteriorating health outcomes, with no alternative safety net.' And who will bear the brunt? The working class, Naidoo says. He warns that the NHI Act risks collapsing the very system that currently supports our healthcare infrastructure. 'For the 3.4 million low and middle-income medical scheme members, the impact will be devastating. The NHI Act's funding model is built on their shoulders through higher taxes, the removal of the medical tax credit and reduced access to care.' Healthcare cannot be viewed in isolation from the broader economy, Naidoo says. 'Draining all available funding into a single centralised system without the infrastructure or capacity to deliver, jeopardises not only health outcomes but also jobs, investment and growth.' ALSO READ: NHI regulations 'prematurely' published with legislation not proclaimed yet 43% reduction in medical care for scheme members under NHI He points out that even in the best case shared resources scenario modelled by Genesis, medical scheme beneficiaries would see a 43% reduction in access to care. 'Combined with the ban on supplementary cover, the state will actively prevent people from protecting their own families.' Naidoo cautions that healthcare rationing will become the norm. 'This is not speculation. It is already happening. Public hospitals face routine medicine stockouts, long surgery waitlists and severe staff shortages. In Gauteng, thousands of cancer patients were denied timely radiation therapy, with devastating consequences. When care is rationed, lives are lost.' Section 33 of the NHI Act risks deepening these crises, he says. 'It removes a vital layer of protection for millions. Blocking people from using their own resources to access care is not equity, but rather forced dependency.' However, there is a better way: reform, not ruin, Naidoo says. 'South Africa's constitution guarantees everyone the right to access healthcare. Our courts have recognised the vital role medical schemes play in realising this right. That does not mean collapsing what works, it means improving what does not.' ALSO READ: DTIC plan to implement only some Health Market Inquiry recommendations 'illegal'? Health Market Inquiry Medical schemes are not perfect and reform is essential. Fortunately, Naidoo says, the blueprint exists. The Health Market Inquiry, initiated by the Competition Commission, laid out clear steps to improve affordability, transparency and efficiency in the private sector that include: A supply side (healthcare providers and facilities) regulator for health to oversee negotiated fair reimbursement levels; A risk adjustment mechanism, where medical schemes with higher-than-average risk profiles receive funds through an appropriate mechanism from those with lower-than-average risk profiles, to level the playing field; Standardised benefit packages; Better governance structures to ensure efficient use of resources. ALSO READ: Implementing recommendations of Health Market Inquiry good idea – experts These steps will ensure more and better medical care for all Implementing these reforms in a holistic and integrated manner would strengthen the role of medical schemes in a fairer, more accountable health system without tearing down what is working for millions, Naidoo says. 'Most importantly, these improvements could be implemented now, without the massive fiscal burden of a centralised NHI that requires impossible tax increases. The Health Funders Association proposed an alternative, a hybrid multi-fund model that preserves the public private mix, ensures income cross subsidisation and gradually expands coverage. 'This model is based on the NHI Fund working with medical schemes to expand access to healthcare and incorporates key Competition Commission recommendations and would protect the vulnerable while preserving choice and quality. 'South Africa can achieve universal health coverage without banning the opportunity to purchase supplementary cover, overtaxing workers or dismantling functioning systems. The working class has more than paid its share. The question South Africa must ask now is whether government will listen and build a better system or press ahead regardless of the cost.'
TimesLIVE
11 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
The journey from detection to protection: inside South Africa's hepatitis testing gaps
Egypt showed the world what's possible. Their national hepatitis C programme screened more than 60-million people and treated more than four million — all within five years. This was the result of a public health campaign that brought public and private partners together to inspire a nationwide commitment to eliminating the silent killer. South Africa has the tools, the partnerships and the healthcare workforce to do the same. So why haven't we? Part of the answer lies in awareness. In a recent survey, most South Africans said they didn't know hepatitis was a serious disease. Many had never been offered a test. The virus doesn't always present symptoms early, so it slips beneath the surface — undiagnosed, untreated and unspoken. But another part of the answer lies in how we design our health priorities. Testing for hepatitis still isn't fully integrated into existing services. For example, we've done critical work to normalise HIV testing — it's part of antenatal visits, school programmes, even workplace health drives. Hepatitis should be just as visible. It should be part of every antenatal screening, every STI check-up, every blood drive. Testing for one virus shouldn't mean ignoring others. There's also a missed opportunity in our corporate and community health environments. The burden of hepatitis doesn't stop at the clinic door. Chronic liver disease affects productivity, health budgets and family stability. While specific cost data is limited in South Africa, international evidence is clear: investing in integrated testing and early diagnosis reduces healthcare costs and improves lives. The World Health Organisation has set a goal: eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. To get there, South Africa must do three things: Normalise integrated testing for hepatitis B and C. Expand public education to match the scale of the risk. Mobilise partnerships between government, private sector, and civil society to scale up access. Hepatitis isn't rare. It isn't untreatable. And it isn't too late. But every day we wait, we lose lives that could have been saved with a test. Let's not let silence stand in the way of protection. Let's make this the decade where South Africa turns detection into action — and action into health. Everyone deserves to get tested.
IOL News
a day ago
- IOL News
Turning Point in Xenophobia Crisis
South Africa now stands at a perilous crossroads. The actions of the March and March group, joined by members of Operation Dudula, in blocking access to healthcare facilities for foreign nationals, here legally or otherwise, are not only illegal and unconstitutional, but deeply inhumane. It is a grim echo of the darkest chapters of our recent past. For six weeks, Addington Hospital has become a frontline of unlawful gatekeeping, with self-appointed enforcers deciding who may access public healthcare. Refugees, asylum seekers, and even South Africans without identity documents have been turned away. In one case, a man was assaulted for merely seeking physiotherapy. This is not civil activism, it is vigilantism. And yet, the police have stood by, citing vague ''agreements'' and claiming orders must come from above. Their inaction, while constitutional rights are trampled at hospital gates, is an indictment on law enforcement and governance.
