Which true nature? The one they're telling us, or the ones they're not? It's kind of convenient that venous insufficiency is just about the most benign cause of dependent edema seen in geriatric patients. I'm willing to bet that he's got a certain degree of heart failure and/or renal insufficiency going on. (I mean, one can live for decades with either of those conditions, especially if one is compliant with treatment, but venous insufficiency is more optics-friendly.)