WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump will undergo a medical checkup at Walter Reed Medical Center on Friday, Oct. 10, in what will be the 79-year-old president’s second exam at Walter Reed this year.
His visit to the doctor comes after Trump was diagnosed in July with chronic venous insufficiency that has resulted in visible swelling in his lower legs near his ankles.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump will also participate in a “planned meeting” with troops at the facility and deliver remarks to them.
“While there, President Trump will stop by for his routine annual checkup,” Leavitt said in a statement, adding that later in the day he may travel to the Middle East, where he hopes to secure a peace deal between Israel and Hamas to end the war in Gaza.
Further: President Trump diagnosed with chronic venous condition linked to leg swelling
Trump’s most recent physical at Walter Reed was on April 11. The White House doctor, US Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, in a report released after the exam, said the president is in excellent health and that his history of high cholesterol is “well controlled.”
Trump was later diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, which occurs when the veins in his legs have trouble sending blood back to the heart. It is common among people over 70 years old. At 79, Trump is the second-oldest person to serve as president of the United States and the oldest to begin a term as president.
Barbabella described chronic venous insufficiency as “benign and common” in a note on the president’s health dated July 17.
Further: President Trump says he could go to the Middle East to achieve the peace agreement between Israel and Hamas
According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 150,000 new patients are diagnosed with this condition each year. It is estimated that between 10% and 35% suffer from chronic venous insufficiency in the United States.
Trump has also experienced bruising on his right hand, which Barbabella said in his report is “consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshakes” and his use of aspirin as a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen. He said Trump “continues to enjoy excellent health.”
Contributing: Reuters
Contact Joey Garrison at X @joeygarrison
This article originally appeared in USA TODAY: Donald Trump to undergo medical exam at Walter Reed