Donald Trump’s doctor says the US president is in “excellent health” following his annual medical exam. Capt Sean Barbabella wrote a memo released by the White House on Friday that Trump, who turns 80 next month, had “strong cardiac, pulmonary, neurological and overall physical function”.
Barbella addressed Trump’s weight and the bruising on his hand, but said he was “fully fit to carry out all duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State”.
Trump visited the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Tuesday for the exam, writing on his Truth Social platform afterwards that “everything checked out perfectly”.
It is his third known check-up since returning to the White House last year.
Trump – the oldest person to be inaugurated as US president – was “within normal limits” on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, a common test of cognitive health, scoring a 30 out of 30, according to the memo.
He weighs 238lb (108kg), having gained 14lb (6.3kg) since his medical exam in April 2025. Barbabella said the president had been given guidance on diet, physical activity and continued weight loss, and was on medication to control his cholesterol.
Trump’s resting heart rate was 73 beats per minute, according to the memo, and his cardiac age was estimated to be approximately 14 years younger than his chronological age.
“His demanding daily schedule, including multiple high-level meetings, public engagements and regular physical activity continues to support his overall well-being,” Barbabella wrote.
Last year, the president’s bruised hands and swollen legs caused concern and speculation over his health.
It was revealed in July that he had been diagnosed with a vein condition called chronic venous insufficiency, which occurs when leg veins fail to pump blood to the heart, causing it to pool in the lower limbs, which can then become swollen. While there remained some “slight lower leg swelling”, Barbabella noted in his memo that there was “improvement from last year”.
Bruising on Trump’s hand was explained in the report as being “consistent with minor soft tissue irritation related to frequent handshaking” while taking aspirin for “cardiovascular prevention”.
Barbabella noted this bruising was “a common and benign effect of aspirin therapy”.
His memo stated that, as well as aspirin, Trump was taking two cholesterol control drugs. He also remained up to date on all appropriate preventative screenings and immunisations.
Trump has previously talked about his aspirin usage, saying he had been taking larger than recommended doses for the last 25 years.
He told the Wall Street Journal he took 325mg of aspirin per day, rather than the 81mg dose sometimes recommended by doctors, because he did not “want thick blood pouring through my heart”.
Trump also said he preferred not to do any form of regular exercise other than play golf.
“I just don’t like it. It’s boring,” he said. “To walk on a treadmill or run on a treadmill for hours and hours like some people do, that’s not for me.”
While not compulsory, these annual medical tests have become seen as routine in recent decades.
The health of former President Joe Biden, who was 78 when he took office in 2021, became a subject of intense public scrutiny towards the end of his term.
By BBC News
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