Everyone wants to know what’s going on behind the scenes at the White House, especially when it comes to the health of the 45th and 47th president. It’s basically a national pastime at this point. People scroll through TikTok or Twitter looking at clips of him walking or talking, trying to play "armchair doctor." But if you actually look at the official records from 2025 and early 2026, the real picture is a mix of high-tech scans and some very common "old man" issues.
Honestly, the most recent update that got people talking wasn't about his heart or his head—it was about his legs.
The July 2025 Reveal: Chronic Venous Insufficiency
In July 2025, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed a specific diagnosis that had been the subject of internet rumors for weeks: chronic venous insufficiency (CVI).
If you saw those viral photos of the president with swollen ankles during the summer, that’s exactly what this was. Basically, CVI means the valves in the leg veins aren't working like they used to. Instead of blood zipping straight back up to the heart, it "pools" near the ankles because of gravity. It’s super common. Like, one-in-three-adults common.
White House doctors described it as a "benign and common condition" for someone in their late 70s. For Trump, who is now 79 and will hit 80 in June 2026, it means he likely has to wear compression socks and elevate his feet when he’s not on stage. It's not life-threatening, but it explains why he might look a little stiff or why those hand bruises (from supposed "all-day handshaking") keep showing up.
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What about the heart?
People always point to his love for fast food. Yet, the April 2025 physical report from Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella—his current physician—paints a surprisingly different picture. His cholesterol numbers look like something out of a health textbook.
- Total Cholesterol: 140 mg/dL
- LDL ("Bad" Cholesterol): 51 mg/dL
- HDL ("Good" Cholesterol): 77 mg/dL
How? Well, he isn't doing it naturally. He’s on a high-dose statin (Rosuvastatin) and Ezetimibe. Basically, modern medicine is doing the heavy lifting for his cardiovascular system. His EKG and echocardiogram came back normal, and his ejection fraction—a key measure of how well the heart pumps—is reportedly healthy.
The Cognitive Question: "Person, Woman, Man, Camera, TV"
You can't talk about what is Trump's diagnosis without hitting the elephant in the room: his mental state. Critics have spent years suggesting everything from "incipient dementia" to "narcissistic personality disorder."
However, we have to stick to what's on the paper.
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In April 2025 and again in early 2026, Trump reportedly "aced" the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). He scored a 30/30. For those who don't know, the MoCA isn't an IQ test. It’s a screening tool for dementia. It asks you to draw a clock, identify a picture of a lion, and repeat a few words. Scoring a 30 means that, clinically speaking, he does not have the cognitive impairment associated with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.
The "Advanced Imaging" Controversy
In October 2025, Trump went back to Walter Reed for a "semiannual physical." It was weird because it was only six months after his last one.
This visit included "advanced imaging" of his cardiovascular and abdominal systems. Dr. Barbabella claimed this was just "preventative health maintenance" for a man of his age group. Trump later told The Wall Street Journal he kind of regretted taking the tests because it gave the media "ammunition" to wonder if something was wrong. According to the readout, the scans were "perfectly normal," showing no major organ issues or hidden tumors.
A Laundry List of Minor Issues
If you look at the "Past Medical History" section of his latest reports, it’s a bit of a grocery list. None of these are "deal-breakers" for the presidency, but they are official diagnoses:
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- Rosacea: A skin condition that causes redness and visible blood vessels in the face. He uses Soolantra (Mometasone) cream for this.
- Hypercholesterolemia: High cholesterol, which is well-managed by his meds.
- Diverticulosis: Small pouches in the colon. A 2024 colonoscopy found these, along with a benign polyp.
- Bilateral Cataract Surgery: He’s had both eyes done, which explains his 20/20 corrected vision.
- Gunshot Wound Scarring: A permanent physical "diagnosis" from the July 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, PA, specifically on his right ear.
Why the Transparency Matters Now
In 2026, we’re seeing a different kind of health transparency. In the past, Trump was pretty tight-lipped, famously dictating a 2015 letter saying he'd be the "healthiest individual ever elected." Now, under pressure from a public that just watched the 2024 election cycle revolve almost entirely around the age of the candidates, the White House is releasing more data.
We see his weight (224 pounds in April 2025, down from 243 in 2019) and even his blood sugar (Hemoglobin A1c of 5.2, which is totally normal).
So, what is the "diagnosis"? It’s not one single thing. It’s a 79-year-old man with a history of high cholesterol, a very recent diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency, and some minor skin and digestive issues.
Actionable Insights for the Curious
If you're trying to keep track of these updates, here is what you should look for in the coming months:
- Watch the "Semiannual" Schedule: If he continues to go to Walter Reed every six months instead of every year, it signals a shift toward more aggressive monitoring of his cardiovascular health.
- The MoCA isn't everything: While he "aced" the cognitive test, experts like Dr. Ziad Nasreddine (the test's creator) note that these tests only measure "functioning," not personality or temperament.
- Check the BMI: At 6'3" and 224 lbs, he’s technically "overweight" but no longer "obese." Watching if his weight fluctuates can be a major indicator of overall health changes.
The most important thing to remember is that in the world of high-stakes politics, "perfect health" is a PR term, but the lab results don't lie. Keep an eye on the cholesterol levels and those leg-swelling updates—those are the real markers of how he's holding up.
To stay informed on the latest medical disclosures, you can check the official White House Briefing Room or the National Library of Medicine for explainers on conditions like CVI.