On July 17, the White House announced that President Donald Trump was diagnosed with a condition called chronic venous insufficiency after he had noticed swelling in his legs.
According to press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Trump, who is 79, was diagnosed after an ultrasound of his legs; He has no complications of the condition, such as deep venous thrombosis, and an echocardiogram indicated that he has a normal heart structure and function.
We asked experts to know what about the condition, including how it feels and how it is treated.
What is chronic venous insufficiency?
Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI) Takes more than 25 million adults In the US it is one of the most common diagnoses that Dr. Ali Azizadeh, professor and director of vascular surgery at Cedars-SINAI Medical Center and associated director of the Smidt Heart Institute, sees his patients every day.
CVI occurs when the valves in the legs do not work correctly, causing the blood to bundle, causing an increased pressure on the veins. It tends to influence both legs, although it can occur in just one.
Read more: 7 myths about cardiomyopathy – Debunked
“We have blood vessels that bring the blood from the heart to the rest of the body – that are arteries,” says Azizadeh. “Veins are responsible for reducing the blood from the rest of the body back to the heart. When someone has chronic venous insufficiency, this means that the veins do not work properly, and therefore the blood – instead of going to the heart from the legs – can be in the leg.” This often leads to visible swelling in the ankles and feet.
What causes the condition?
There are various risk factors for chronic venous insufficiency. The condition is most common in people who are middle -aged or older, because veins naturally weaken in the course of time, says Dr. John Higgins, Professor Cardiology at Uthalth Houston. Women run an increased risk compared to men: “It is about 2 to 1 for women, and the reason for that is pregnancy, as well as the effects of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone on the valves,” he says.
Read more: 9 weird symptoms cardiologists say you should never ignore
Other risk factors are a family history of CVI, overweight or obese, and having a history of blood clots in the legs. Standing for a long time can also play a role. “If you get up, there is more pressure on your veins than when you sit or lie,” says Higgins. Regarding the president – who is not a patient of Higgins – “He is someone who is a lot on the move.”
What kind of symptoms and complications do it cause?
Most of the time, chronic venous insufficiency is little more than a ‘nuisance’, Dr. Sean Lyden, Department chairman of vascular surgery in Cleveland Clinic. “For most people it is nothing but some swelling of the leg,” he says. “As the day progresses, their leg swells more and more, so it feels tight, heavy and bursts.” By the time that patients with CVI go to bed, they may notice the “big socrons” on that income skin where socks strikes, a common thing among older adults, he adds. Some people also experience discoloration in their feet and ankles.
When people have CVI for a long time – 10 or 15 years – they can develop and thicken in the skin, which can ultimately cut the blood supply and lead to venous ulcers, Lyden adds.
In general, however, most people are able to successfully manage the condition and this has no influence on life expectancy. “It is a common diagnosis, and it is not dangerous,” says Azizzadeh. “It is more that it disturbs the patient, with regard to the swelling and the pain and discomfort.”
Azizzadeh, who does not treat Trump, adds that CVI “has no influence on [Trump’s] Prognosis in terms of life expectancy or something similar. “
How is chronic venous insufficiency treated?
The most common treatment for chronic venous insufficiency is wearing compression socks of 20-30 mmHg medical quality that push the blood back to the heart. “You put them on in the morning and you keep them all day,” says Lyden. “It prevents the veins from being removed until they drain better.” Most people with CVI have to wear these socks forever, although Lyden acknowledges that, in the summer heat, the extra layer can be unpleasant. People often do not turn on when they go outside on hot days, causing their legs to swell again.
People with CVI also benefit from elevating their legs during the day above their hearts, which can be done by lying and letting the legs rest on pillows or pillows, or on top of a coffee table or desk. Simple exercises can also make a positive difference. “Pumping your calf muscles helps,” says Higgins. For those who are overweight, losing weight can improve the symptoms.
Read more: The habit of the 1 heart health that you have to start when you are young
In advanced cases, when conservative treatment does not sufficiently improve the symptoms, some people undergo a minimally invasive outpatient procedure called venous ablation. “It’s a very simple operation,” says Azizzadeh. “It closes the leak”, so blood no longer flows in the wrong direction. “It’s very simple and successful.”
Nevertheless, CVI does not reach the point for most people to require surgical intervention. “The bottom line is that it is very manageable,” says Higgins. “Most people will do fine with the conservative therapy.”
#chronic #venous #insufficiency #Trumps #diagnosis #explained