Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency: What to know about the condition

A recent medical checkup of President Donald Trump revealed that mild swelling he had noticed in his lower legs was “chronic venous insufficiency,” a common medical condition among the elderly. CVI, as it’s abbreviated, is due to pooling of blood in the veins.

Here's what to know about the condition, whose likelihood increases with age:

What is CVI?

Chronic venous insufficiency occurs when veins in the legs are damaged and don’t work properly. The veins are supposed to keep blood flowing back to the heart and the valves in the veins are supposed to prevent backward flow. But with CVI, the blood instead pools in the legs. That intensifies the pressure in the veins and leads to symptoms such as skin damage and swelling.

What percentage of the American population gets CVI?

The prevalence of a less severe condition, chronic venous disease, is 30% — and more than 50% in those who are older than 65, according to Dr. Antonios Gasparis, system chief of the ambulatory vascular & vein program and professor at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell in Uniondale.

He said that the prevalence of chronic venous insufficiency — which causes leg swelling, skin discoloration and ulcers — is about 10% of the population and as high as 30% in people older than 65.

Trump is 79.

What are the most common symptoms?

“People see their varicose veins bulging,” Gasparis said, adding: “They complain, usually of heaviness, the leg is tired at the end of the day. It all has to do with gravity. So as you’re standing up, all the blood pools in your leg, and that’s when you get the symptoms.”

In more advanced stages, patients experience leg swelling, leading to skin damage.

“The pressure in the veins causes damage in the organ that is being affected, which is the skin,” he said. That’s when there can be skin discoloration, pigmentation and a leathery feel.

The last stage is an ulcer.

What are the treatments?

To help relieve symptoms, clinicians recommend compression stockings. But that doesn’t treat the underlying cause.

There are many treatments that aim to eliminate the superficial part of the veins. Options include lasers, radio-frequency energy and non-thermal technologies.

“You don’t really need these superficial veins, so if they’re not functioning, you basically just get rid of them,” Gasparis said.

There are also newer technologies that use a glue or other substance that is injected to eliminate the unneeded veins. It’s also possible to use high-intensity frequency ultrasound in a clinical trial, although it’s not yet FDA-approved, Gasparis said.

“From the outside, we can actually use ultrasound to heat up the vein wall — and this is completely noninvasive,” he said.

Can the condition be prevented?

“Not really, unless you can pick your parents,” Gasparis said.

The highest risk factor is hereditary, he said.

If one of your parents has the condition, the chances of you developing it are 50%. If both parents have it, you have a more than 90% chance of getting it at some point in life.

Other risk factors include multiple pregnancies, obesity and advanced age, although he’s seen patients as young as teenagers with the condition.

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.