President Donald Trump's recent medical checkup has sparked concern among doctors who say it is 'too good to be true' and missing vital data. Doctors examined Trump last Tuesday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in what the President termed a '6 month physical,' proclaiming 'everything checked out PERFECTLY' on social media after the visit.
Delayed Release Fuels Speculation
The White House waited longer than usual to publish the results of the exam, fueling speculation about the 79-year-old president, who is under intense scrutiny over bruises on his hands, swelling on his ankles and claims that he is in cognitive decline. 'There's no other explanation for not releasing the results of the President's medical examination other than not wanting the American people to know something,' Jonathan Reiner, heart doctor for late Vice President Dick Cheney, said on social media.
White House Statement
The White House released a statement on Friday, three days after the exam, from Trump's physician, US Navy Captain Sean Barbarella, declaring that the President 'remains in excellent health, demonstrating strong cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, and overall physical function.' The report contains information on Trump's vital statistics, references several scans that took place, and makes minor recommendations about preventative care.
Vital Statistics
The President was listed at 75 inches, 238 pounds - 14 pounds heavier than last year - but with a healthy resting heart rate and normal blood pressure. He takes two cholesterol medications and aspirin for his heart, per the report. 'That report is almost too good to be true for somebody of his age,' Texas vascular surgeon David Shutze told the Wall Street Journal. 'This seems to be a filtered narrative.'
Political Pressure
Trump, 79, is the oldest person ever elected to the presidency, beating his predecessor Joe Biden by some five months. Presidents are not obligated to release their medical information to the public. However, Trump has faced increased political pressure to publish his records after making Biden's health a cornerstone of his presidential campaign, lashing his rival as 'Sleepy Joe' for failing to take a cognitive test.
Criticism of Report
Shutze disparaged the report's tendency to affirm Trump's health without providing specific data which would support Barbarella's claims. Reiner pointed out that multiple of the tests mentioned in the White House report had been performed on Trump recently enough that repeating them is unusual. Barbarella's report also referenced an AI analysis of an echocardiogram that found Trump's 'cardiac age' to be fifteen years younger than his actual age. This AI evaluation 'is not a clinically utilized tool,' Reiner said.
Previous Health Concerns
Several previous issues have raised eyebrows around the President's health, even as he prides himself on being unusually fit for his age. Trump's hands frequently appear bruised, and at times he has used makeup or bandages in an attempt to hide this. The President and those in his orbit have attributed the bruising to frequent handshaking and the effects of regular doses of aspirin, a blood thinner. Last year, after photos showed swelling in the President's lower legs, it was revealed that he suffers from chronic venous insufficiency, a common circulatory problem in older patients.
Omissions Explained
Barbarella's report noted that the swelling has improved without going into detail about why or how much. The White House said the omission of detailed scan results is typical in an 'executive summary' like this report. White House director of communications Steven Cheung blasted 'outside doctors wildly speculating about an individual’s health.' 'President Trump has publicly released more detailed information about his health than any other president in history,' Cheung added.
