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President Trump is contending with age-related circulation problems in his legs and bruising on his hands, none of which is significant, the White House declared on Thursday.
“The president remains in excellent health,” declared White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavett.
After several days of speculation about bruising on President Trump’s hands, and swelling his legs, Leavett spelled out the state of Trump’s health during a briefing.
The president, she explained, has gone through a “comprehensive examination including diagnostic vascular studies.”
The statement indicates that Trump has “chronic venous insufficiency” in his legs. That’s a condition in which blood vessel valves are slow to return blood pumped into the legs and it’s common for patients older than 70. It’s considered a possible precursor to much more serious deep vein thrombosis, which the president was found not to have.
Bruises on the president’s hands Leavett attributed to frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen. Aspirin is often used by heart patients because to prevent dangerous clots but, like many blood thinning medications, it can encourage visible bruising on the skin.