President Donald Trump has alarmed medical experts after a 'compassionate use' request for a weight loss drug was submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on his behalf. The request, which was granted, sought the drug retatrutide to treat obstructive sleep apnea and pulmonary hypertension—a condition that can lead to heart failure.
Unusual FDA Request Raises Concerns
The request was made in April by a clinician at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a 79-year-old man, just two months before Trump's 80th birthday. According to a report from STAT News, the FDA approved the appeal, and the White House offered a non-denial when asked if the patient was Trump. Luke Winkie, a political analyst for Slate, noted that the lack of confirmation from the White House suggests the request may have been for the president himself.
Winkie wrote: 'That’s the central caveat undergirding a bombshell new report from STAT, which nonetheless insinuates — with the help of three sources and an initial conspicuous nondenial from the White House — that Donald Trump is being administered a heavy-duty drug for a host of serious health problems.'
Health Issues Under Scrutiny
Trump's health has been a persistent topic of debate. Critics and allies alike have pointed to various signs of concern, including a neck rash, bruised hands, and claims of passing a dementia test with flying colors. Dr. Jonathan Reiner, former cardiologist to Vice President Dick Cheney, told CNN earlier this year: 'The president has severe daytime somnolence. He falls asleep very often. He’s fallen asleep in the Oval Office on multiple occasions with people talking to him in the Cabinet room, and I was concerned yesterday that he might have fallen asleep at Arlington National Cemetery during Memorial Day observances.'
Retatrutide and Compassionate Use
Retatrutide is a weight loss drug still under investigation, and compassionate use requests are typically reserved for patients with serious or life-threatening conditions. The drug is being studied for its effects on obesity and related conditions. The fact that such a request was made for the president has sparked further debate about his fitness for office.
