INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The White House revealed Thursday that President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency after days of speculation regarding his bruised hands and swollen ankles.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt read a note from the Republican president’s doctor. The physicians described Trump’s diagnosis as “a benign and a common condition particularly in individuals over the age of 70.”

WISH-TV Medical Expert Dr. Janel Gordon described chronic venous insufficiency as a disease that “happens when you have the valve within the veins usually the lower extremities weaken. As a result, the blood isn’t able to go back up towards the heart and out to the rest of the body. And it can pool in the lower extremities.”

Gordon says age, obesity and inactivity can lead to this condition. She says it’s part of aging especially for someone who is overweight or obese. Doctors have said Trump is considered clinically obese.

Gordon said diet can lead to a chronic venous insufficiency diagnosis. “Increased weight can increase your risk, and, so often, we’ll see individuals who have increased risk. They may have a higher intake of sugary beverages and more ultra-processed foods and we might recommend they decrease their intake of those foods.”

The president often drinks diet Coke and gushes about eating fast food from McDonald’s.

Gordon stressed that people diagnosed with the vein condition should be evaluated for more serious conditions. The president was evaluated, and there was no evidence of arterial disease. “While it was concerning to hear what’s going on, it was reassuring to hear his doctor’s report, and that they did not find any blood clots. Sometimes people can get confused. … ‘I have a venous issue. Does that mean I have a clot in my lower leg that can then trace back to my heart, lungs, and brain?’ No, that’s not what our president is dealing with. Since his doctor ruled that out, that’s more reassuring.”

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