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President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency last year.
According to ABC News, then press secretary Karoline Leavitt shared a letter from Trump's physician in a news conference, which said Trump was examined after he noticed "mild" swelling in his legs.
Leavitt said the physician described the condition as "benign" and "common," particularly among adults above age 70.
Leavitt added that the president is in "excellent health" and that the doctor's full letter would be released soon.
Here's what you need to know about the condition, what symptoms it causes and how it's treated.
What is chronic venous insufficiency?
Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a circulatory condition in which the veins in the leg have difficulty returning blood back to the heart due to damaged valves.
"Unlike the arteries, the veins have valves that help return blood to the heart," Dr. Andrea Obi, vascular surgeon at University of Michigan Health Frankel Cardiovascular Center and associate professor of vascular surgery at University of Michigan Medical School, told ABC News.
She explained that there are larger veins, called deep veins, which return the bulk of blood to the heart, and there are superficial veins, which are just under the skin surface.
This can cause blood to pool in the legs and lead to leg swelling.
Symptoms
Obi said most CVI patients have mild symptoms and the most common manifestation is varicose veins, which occur when the blood pools into the superficial veins just under the skin.
The veins become swollen, which can be heavy, uncomfortable or painful for patients.
If patients have CVI in the deeper veins, they may experience leg swelling around the ankle area and it can extend up towards the knee.
In more severe cases, darkening of the skin can occur and an open sore or ulcer could develop.
Treatment
Treatments are typically nonsurgical and are mainly to prevent swelling and ulcers from forming, according to the Society for Vascular Surgery.
Obi said if a patient is found to have CVI incidentally and they don't have symptoms, there is no need for treatment unless symptoms arise.
First-line treatment can include compression, such as wearing compression stockings or an elastic wrap. There are also supplements patients can take to relieve symptoms, Obi said.
If superficial veins are affected, patients may receive vein ablation, which is a minimally invasive procedure to close the veins off, and removal of the varicose veins.
If deep veins are affected, some patients may require an angioplasty to widen the narrow or blocked veins, or stenting to restore blood flow.
Obi said even if someone's vein valves are prone to failing due to genetics or aging, walking can help overcome this.
