President Donald Trump was given a clean bill of health on Tuesday, after White House doctor Ronny Jackson declared the 45th president of the United States to be in "excellent health" despite carrying excess weight.
Updating the media in the White House press room following the president’s medical exam on Friday, Dr Jackson said that the president is “very healthy and will remain so for the duration of his presidency”.
While Mr Trump suffers from high cholesterol and has been encouraged to lose "10 or 15 pounds" over the next year or so, Dr Jackson said his cardiac health was "excellent" though his cholesterol was high.
Noting that the physical tests showed Mr Trump had “above-age exercise capacity based on age and sex”, Dr Jackson said Mr Trump benefitted from a “lifetime of abstinence from tobacco and alcohol”.
However, he said Mr Trump, who weighs 17 stone, could benefit from a diet with less fat and carbohydrates. While he said that he was co-ordinating a health plan with the president, “he’s more enthusiastic about the diet part than the exercise part”.
Mr Trump’s fondness for fast food, particularly diet coke and cheeseburgers is well-known while he is said to do little exercise apart from playing golf.
Other information disclosed by the medical include Mr Trump’s “healthy teeth and gums,” a “regular heartbeat”, and the fact that the president last had a colonoscopy in 2013 which showed no abnormalities.
Cognitive examination
On the question of Mr Trump’s mental health, Dr Jackson said: “The president is mentally very sharp.. he’s fit for duty. I think that he will remain fit for duty for the remainder of this term and even for the remainder of a second term.”
Dr Jackson said he had not seen the need to include a cognitive component to the exam, noting that he saw the president most days. “I’ve got to know him pretty well and I had absolutely no concerns about his cognitive ability or his neurological functions.”
However, he said that the president had insisted that a cognitive examination be included in the tests. Those tests had shown “he has absolutely no cognitive or mental issues whatsoever”.
Recent controversy over Michael Wolff's book Fire and Fury has led to speculation about the president's fitness for office, prompting Mr Trump to declare himself "a stable genius" on Twitter.
Dr Jackson also revealed that Mr Trump takes medication daily to treat his cholesterol and hair loss, as well as aspirin and a multivitamin supplement. His cholesterol treatment will be increased, the White House doctor said.
All US presidents have access to a physician, who has an office in the White House. The current White House doctor was appointed by former president Barack Obama.
