Trump ‘healthy’, doctor says after report shows he is still clinically obese
- Trump did not suffer side effects from his controversial taking of hydroxychloroquine
- Trump was evaluated twice for the physical, first in November 2019 and then in April
US President Donald Trump remains clinically obese after putting on more weight over the past year, according to a summary of his annual physical, raising questions about his usage of an unproven coronavirus drug that can cause serious side effects in heavier-set people.
The “president remains healthy,” his press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, told reporters.
The summary, released on Wednesday by the White House, states that Trump weighs 110kg (244 pounds) and stands 190cm tall, meaning he put on a pound since his last physical in February 2019.
Based on those measures, Trump has a body mass index of 30.49. Anything above 30 is deemed clinically obese.
That is significant since the summary also states that Trump popped hydroxychloroquine pills for two weeks in May “as a preventive measure” after a couple of White House staffers tested positive for Covid-19.
“The president completed the regimen safely and without side effects,” stated the summary, which was penned by Sean Conley, Trump’s personal doctor.
Hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug, has not received approval from the Food and Drug Administration for coronavirus treatment and there’s no evidence to suggest it could prevent the infection.
In fact, the FDA has released notice that doctors should not prescribe hydroxychloroquine outside hospital settings due to a high risk of side effects, including heart complications. Such side effects are more likely to occur in people with pre-existing conditions, such as obesity and heart problems.
Still, Conley said in the memo that Trump remains “healthy”.
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“There were no findings of significance or changes to report,” Conley wrote.
Trump was evaluated twice for the physical, first in November 2019 and then in April. He has a resting heart rate of 63 beats per minute. A normal resting heart rate for adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute, and generally, a lower rate implies better cardiovascular fitness.
His blood pressure came in at 121 over 79. The American Heart Association says an elevated blood pressure range is when a reading for the upper number consistently ranges from 120-129 and less than 80 for the lower number. People with elevated blood pressure are likely to develop high blood pressure unless steps are taken to control the condition.
The summary reveals Trump’s cholesterol level have balanced to a healthy level, now at 167, compared to an unhealthy 223 in 2018 and barely healthy 196 last year.
That’s likely due to Trump’s taking an increased dose of rosuvastatin, a cholesterol-lowering medication.
Trump also continues to take a daily dose of finasteride, a drug that’s supposed to prevent hair loss.
Trump was the oldest person to become president at 70. He turns 74 this month, while his Democratic challenger in the November election is 77.
Tribune News Service and Agence France-Presse
