chronic venous insufficiency

noun

: a condition in which the flow of blood from the legs to the heart is impaired chiefly as a result of weakened or damaged valves in the veins of the legs and that is characterized especially by edema, pain, and discoloration in the lower legs

Left untreated, chronic venous insufficiency can progress to painful ulcers and limit mobility, yet many patients delay care because symptoms may seem like a normal part of aging.

—Sara Berg

Venous disease in general is very common. For example, varicose veins affect about 1 in 3 adults. Each year, about 1 in 50 adults with varicose veins go on to develop chronic venous insufficiency.

—Cleveland Clinic

—abbreviation CVI

Examples of chronic venous insufficiency in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The White House said swelling around the ankles was due to chronic venous insufficiency or CVI, which occurs when leg veins fail to send blood back to the heart properly, and the bruising on the back of his hand was caused by frequent handshaking and aspirin. —Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 12 June 2026

In July, the White House said he was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency—a common vein condition that causes swelling around the ankles. —Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 2 June 2026

The president then completed a follow-up visit to Walter Reed in October after he was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency. —David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 30 May 2026

Last year the White House said Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a fairly common condition for older adults that causes blood to pool in the president’s legs. —Collin Binkley, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2026

In the past year, he has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, frequently appeared sleepy during meetings, and regularly been photographed with dark bruises on his hands, which he's claimed are the result of taking heavy doses of aspirin. —Kyler Alvord, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026

In July, he was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a common condition in older adults that causes blood to pool in his veins. —ABC News, 26 May 2026

Last summer, Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, which occurs when veins become damaged and struggle to send blood back to the heart. —Luke Garrett, NPR, 25 May 2026

The White House acknowledged last year that Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency. —Patrick Whittle, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for chronic venous insufficiency

• deficiency
• efficiency
• proficiency
• sufficiency
• immunodeficiency
• inefficiency