For an 80-year-old, Joe Biden is in top form.
He doesn't smoke, he doesn't drink, he exercises and obviously stays active at work.
He has a list of small ailments, according to the routine medical examination he underwent this Thursday at a military clinic in Maryland, but the doctor's conclusion is resounding: "President Biden is still a healthy and vigorous 80-year-old man, fit to successfully carry out the functions of the presidency, including those of chief executive, head of state and commander in chief”, concludes the statement signed by Kevin O'Connor, the president's physician.
The White House has released the medical report signed by O'Connor, who has been Biden's doctor since 2009. Biden is the first octogenarian president in US history and intends to run for re-election in 2024. If win, he would be 86 years old at the end of his hypothetical second term.
The main novelty that has occurred since the previous check-up, in November 2021, is that Biden passed the covid.
The good news is that, thanks to the fact that he was fully vaccinated with two doses plus two booster injections when he was infected, I had mild symptoms and, above all, that he does not suffer any symptoms of persistent covid.
The doctor also stresses that Biden spent a lot of time in the sun in his youth and that he is being checked for possible symptoms of skin cancer.
The report notes that a biopsy has been taken from a small lesion removed from the chest for analysis.
Among the president's health problems, the doctor cites atrial fibrillation, hyperlipidemia, gastroesophageal reflux, seasonal allergies, spinal arthritis and mild sensory peripheral neuropathy in the feet.
To treat them, he takes three common prescription drugs and two over-the-counter drugs, the report explains.
Biden sometimes suffers from some public lapses that the conservative media repeat over and over again to give the impression that he is not qualified for the position.
Trump says at his rallies that Biden has "cognitive decline" and that "the next morning he doesn't even remember" what he said the day before.
He projects videos of him trying to ridicule him at rallies.
The president, however, maintains a very active schedule, with frequent trips inside and outside the United States, public appearances and private meetings.
In the State of the Union address, he showed quick reflexes by responding in a somewhat unusual way to Republicans who criticized him.
The White House spokeswoman said this Thursday: "If you look at him, you will see that he has a grueling schedule that he maintains, that sometimes some of us are not able to follow."
The medical examination comes the day after Donald Trump's first official rival in the Republican primaries, Nikki Haley, asked at her campaign launch event for politicians over 75 to undergo mandatory mental capacity tests. , which includes not only Biden, but also Trump himself.
Haley pointed out that it is time, in her opinion, for a generational change.
In the previous complete medical report published by the White House, from November 2021, it was also ensured that the president was healthy, vigorous and in a position to hold office, but at the same time similar ailments were already noted, such as a more frequent cough, a peripheral neuropathy and cervical spondylosis contributing to stiffer and less fluid movements.
It was also stated that the president took various medications on a regular basis for minor chronic problems, but that he maintained a healthy life and healthy habits
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