Joe Biden's Doctor Releases Results of Annual Physical Exam
Biden's health has been under a magnifying lens in recent months as he barrels toward an electoral rematch with the second-oldest president in U.S. history, Donald Trump
Joe Biden's annual physical exam revealed no signs of trouble, according to his doctor, who said that this year's check-up "identified no new concerns."
The president, 81, traveled to Walter Reed Medical Center on Wednesday morning for the routine physical, with the White House promising to release a health report soon after.
"He continues to be fit for duty and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations," Dr. Kevin O'Connor wrote in a letter on Wednesday afternoon, which was reviewed for accuracy and approved by physicians in the White House Medical Unit.
According to his updated health summary, Biden is currently undergoing treatment for multiple "stable" medical conditions that include non-valvular atrial fibrillation, hyperlipidemia, gastroesophageal reflux, seasonal allergies, sensory peripheral neuropathy of both feet, and his gait, which "remains stiff" but has not worsened in recent years.
One new condition that arose since last year's exam — obstructive sleep apnea — also remains stable, and has been alleviated via a CPAP machine, which was previously reported.
Related: President Biden Has Begun Using a CPAP Machine for Sleep Apnea
His lab work — which entailed a comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), urinalysis, complete blood count (CBC) and level checks of vitamin D, homocysteine, magnesium, folate and creatine kinase — returned normal.
Biden is the oldest president in United States history and has been under a magnifying lens in recent months as he seeks another four years in office. He and the next-oldest U.S. president, 77-year-old Donald Trump, are barreling toward an electoral rematch in November, putting the politicians' health and mental acuity at the front of voters' minds.
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In February 2023, O'Connor called Biden a "healthy" and "vigorous 80-year-old" after the yearly exam, adding that he "remains fit for duty." The physician used similar language in a debrief after Biden's November 2021 visit, when the president also underwent a routine colonoscopy.
A change observed during the 2023 exam was a small lesion on the president's chest that was removed and sent out for a traditional biopsy. In a followup letter two weeks later, O'Connor wrote, "As expected, the biopsy confirmed that the small lesion was basal cell carcinoma. All cancerous tissue was successfully removed."
Related: President Joe Biden Had Cancerous Lesion Removed from Chest
Getting ahead of questions, O'Connor explained in the letter that basal cell carcinoma lesions do not typically spread like more serious cancers do. "They do, however, have the potential to increase in size, resulting in a more significant issue as well as increased challenges for surgical removal," he added, noting that he would keep Biden under dermatological surveillance.
In the president's 2024 health summary, O'Connor said that no follow-up treatment for the lesion has been necessary.
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