Donald Trump sparks health fears as experts spot ‘worsening’ condition | US | News

The 80-year-old’s “ankles” appeared to be more swollen than usual when he attended the NATO summit in Türkiye, leading to claims that his health was deteriorating. Dr Sanjiv Lakhanpal, founder and chief executive of the Vein Restoration Centre, said Mr Trump’s lifestyle habits could worsen the condition, which occurs when the veins in one’s legs have trouble sending blood back to the heart.

He told The Daily Beast that the president was probably “doing everything people with CVI shouldn’t do,” including posting on Truth Social overnight and not exercising.

Dr Lakhanpal said: “Unless you maintain a certain lifestyle, such as maintaining a certain body mass index, and you’re on your feet at odd times and not using compression stockings because you’re tired, it’s not going to help.”

The doctor also suggested that this condition may also contribute to the president’s slightly unsteady gait, as commentators have noticed in recent weeks.

“If someone is tired, they’re not sleeping well, they’re not feeling healthy, and their legs are heavy, all of those things can lead to a gait like you saw,” he said.

Mr Trump has previously come under scrutiny for his cognitive and physical health after appearing in public with bruised hands and suffering from memory loss.

The octogenarian president, the oldest president in US history, insisted he was in “excellent” health, but also praised his general condition as “excellent” in his latest medical report.

A White House spokesman also said Dr. He responded to Lakhanpal’s allegations and criticized the Daily Beast for reporting on them, denouncing it as a “mentally retarded, light operation.”

“I hope the idiots working there can finally find themselves a real job,” they added.

White House physician Sean Barbarella confirmed that Mr. Trump was diagnosed with CVI last July, describing it as a “benign and common condition.”