U.S. President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with a non-life-threatening vein condition called chronic venous insufficiency.
White House officials have described the condition as “benign and common”.
Recent photos of Trump appeared to show bruising on his hands and swelling in his legs, raising questions about the 79-year-old’s health.
Here’s the latest.
Trump's health
In January, Trump became the oldest person to be sworn in as U.S. President, at the age of 78 years and 7 months.
His predecessor, Joe Biden, was around 78 years and 2 months old when he was sworn in — making him the second-oldest person to become President.
Trump has previously claimed he’s the “healthiest President that’s ever lived,” and continues to insist he’s in “excellent” health.
Doctor's memo
Recent photos and videos of Trump show what looks like bruising and discolouration on his hand.
During a White House visit by Bahrain’s Crown Prince, zoomed-in footage also showed swelling around Trump’s ankles.
On Thursday, the White House published a memo from the ‘Physician to the President’ (Trump’s White House doctor) confirming he has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI).
CVI
Your contribution ensures The Daily Aus can continue doing the work you love.
I want to give $10 monthly to help TDA keep doing the news.
Your details:
The condition is marked by damaged leg veins, making it harder for blood in the legs to circulate back to the heart.
CVI is less severe than other conditions like deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or heart disease.
The doctor’s memo said the President’s condition is “benign and common”, while noting all his other heart and blood tests returned normal results.
“President Trump remains in excellent health,” it said.
Biden
Trump’s CVI diagnosis comes amid an ongoing probe into Former President Joe Biden’s health during his time in office.
Trump signed an order in June claiming Biden’s aides concealed his “serious cognitive decline”, accusing them of using an “autopen” to forge the President’s signature on official documents, including pardons and laws.
An autopen is a machine used to duplicate a signature and has long been used in the White House.
Congress has since tasked a committee to look into the matter.
Democrats have dismissed the Republican-led committee as “armchair diagnosing”, staging walk-outs of hearings in protest.
It followed publication of ‘Original Sin’ earlier this year, a book detailing an alleged cover-up of Biden’s deteriorating physical and mental health before he dropped out of the presidential race last year.
Co-authors – journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson – interviewed more than 200 people, including White House staff and Biden’s close advisers.
The book was published days after Biden’s cancer announcement earlier this year.
