Chronic Venous Insufficiency: All you need to know

The White House announced, on Thursday, July 17, 2025, that United States President Donald Trump had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency. This came after he was evaluated by his doctor over swelling in his lower legs. The White House also said there was “no evidence” of more serious conditions and additional exams identified “no signs of heart failure, renal impairment or systemic illness.”

Here is all you need to know about the condition.

What is chronic venous insufficiency?

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a venous disease — a condition that occurs when veins in the body are damaged and do not work as they should. Venous diseases are fairly common conditions and affect millions worldwide.

Veins are responsible for carrying blood from various parts of the body to the heart. Veins have valves in them that allow the blood to flow in a single direction. If the valves are damaged, blood may leak backward or move in both directions. In chronic venous insufficiency, the veins in the legs are not able to carry blood back to the heart due to damaged valves, resulting in a flow backward, causing blood to collect or pool in the legs.

Why does it occur?

Risk factors for CVI include age (being over 50), being overweight, having a family history of the condition, lack of exercise, smoking, previous injury to the leg, high blood pressure in the leg veins caused over time due to standing or sitting for prolonged periods or being pregnant. Some people may be born with valve malfunctions.

One common cause of CVI is deep vein thrombosis (DVT). DVT is a blood clot that occurs in a deep vein in the body. These clots can damage the valves in the leg vein, causing CVI. In President Trump’s case however, the White House said there “no evidence” of more serious conditions such as deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease. 

What are the signs and symptoms of CVI?

Symptoms of CVI include: swelling in the lower legs or ankles (oedema), pain while walking that stops when you rest, a tight, full feeling in the legs, burning, itching or tingling legs, brown, leathery looking skin near the ankles, flaking skin, restless leg syndrome, leg cramps, varicose veins and leg ulcers (open sores).

Not all of the symptoms will appear at once. Symptoms depend on how far the condition has progressed.

What happens to the body with CVI?

Untreated CVI can cause pain, cramps and swelling. If untreated, the pressure in veins can increase, making tiny blood vessels, called capillaries, burst. This causes skin discolouration and can also lead to tissue damage.

Leg ulcers are another issue. Sometimes leg ulcers caused by CVI are hard to treat. If these ulcers get infected, the infection can spread to nearby tissue, causing complications.

What is the treatment for CVI?

Treatment for CVI depends on the individual’s overall health and the seriousness of the condition, among other factors. Treatment may include medication, lifestyle changes and compression therapy. Treatment is generally aimed at improving blood flow in the leg veins.

Lifestyle changes may include exercise, including walking, and exercises for the feet and ankles. Exercise helps improve blood flow. Elevation may be recommended: keeping the legs raised (elevated) above the level of the heart may help increase blood flow and reduce swelling.

Compression therapy: This involves bandages or stockings of various types and are aimed at easing the swelling in the legs. Medications to help improve blood flow and to treat ulcers may be prescribed.

Other non-surgical treatments include endovenous laser ablation or radiofrequency ablation: in this procedure, a catheter is used to target the affected vein with heat, either with a laser or high-frequency radiowaves. This helps to close the damaged vein.Another procedure known as sclerotherapy involves in the injection of a chemical into the diseased vein, causing it to collapse so it can no longer carry blood.