Dr. David Samadi: Trump gets “excellent bill of health” both physically and mentally

The final report from President Trump’s annual physical is in and for being 72 years old, the news is remarkably good – White House doctor Rear Admiral Ronny L. Jackson declared Trump in “excellent health” and that he had no reason to believe the president had any issues whatsoever with his thought processes.  This is the best news Trump could have received for someone of his age and with the responsibility and duties of holding the highest office in the land.  This is also very good news for our country knowing the commander-in-chief is in tip top physical and mental condition. 

Due to intense scrutiny from Democrats questioning Trump’s mental health and wanting to be as transparent with his cognitive functioning as possible, Trump actually himself requested to be given a cognitive test, making him the first sitting president to have this done.  Jackson, who has been the lead White House doctor since 2013, did not see a need for the cognitive test as he has found President Trump to be “very sharp” in conversations he’s had with him over the past year. 

The cognitive test was given anyway with Jackson choosing the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, a 10-minute exam designed to detect mild cognitive impairment found in older adults. The test consists of naming several animals, drawing a clock with hands at a certain time, copying a cube, and remembering a short list of words, among others.  Trump scored 30 out of 30. 

Details on his physical were also released.  It showed Trump stands at 6 feet 3 inches and weighs 239 pounds giving him a 29.9 body mass index (BMI), indicating he is overweight and just shy of a 30 BMI which would have place him as being obese.  Reaching a healthier body weight of losing 10-15 pounds as Jackson recommended, is advisable.  President Trump is known for having a penchant for high-calorie, not so healthy foods.  By choosing fewer hamburgers and vanilla ice cream and more nutrient-rich such as fruits, vegetables, and legumes, he could easily reach a healthier body weight. 

Besides making better food selections, another smart lifestyle improvement would be for President Trump to make it a habit to include more physical activity in his daily routine.  Taking a brisk walk around the White House grounds or ditching his golf cart and walking the course instead, would be good starts to fitting in necessary exercise. 

Other physical findings from his annual exam showed Trump is in overall great health regardless of his critics.  His resting heart rate was 68 – on the lower normal range for adults of 60 to 100 beats per minute – and a blood pressure of 122/74.  His blood pressure falls below the recently changed guidelines the American Heart Association released of a systolic pressure of 130 over a diastolic pressure of 80 which is now considered “elevated.”

His blood lipid profile is very good with his HDL, LDL, and triglycerides all within normal limits.  He does take Crestor, cholesterol lowering statin along with a low dose of aspirin to prevent heart attacks.  Other regular medication he uses is antibiotics to treat his skin condition of rosacea and Propecia for baldness. Exams of his liver, thyroid, heart, and colon also returned with normal results.

Overall, President Trump is doing something right for someone of his age to get an almost clean bill of health.  I’m sure part of this is due to good genetics and the fact he has never smoked and does not drink alcohol.

But I believe, another reason for this outstanding report is that he appears to enjoy his life and what he is doing.  His job is not easy but he seems to have gusto for being President of the United States.  Maybe it’s his enthusiasm for life that has kept him young at heart, literally.  Does he have lifestyle habits that need some tweaking – yes.  But if he takes heed of the advice from Jackson and others, he should have a long, healthy life ahead.