American President Donald Trump recently had his annual medical examination. Trump, 78, is the oldest man to be sworn in as the President of the United States of America. Thus, the medical examination has people waiting to hear the results which will be announced on Sunday.
The examination took place at the Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland post which, Trump came out and shared a message to the reporters aboard Air Force One. “I think I did well… I felt I was in very good shape — a good heart, a good soul… I wanted to be a little different than Biden. I took a cognitive test, and I don’t know what to tell you other than I got every answer right. I took many tests, having to do with the heart, having to do with other things. They’re gonna release the report on Sunday.”
What does a medical examination of the President include?
Image credits: Getty Images
While there’s no single source, detailing the entire examination, past examination reports of the presidents suggest this:
General physical examination may include assessment of vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature. The height, weight, body mass index, vision and hearing tests and basic neurological tests such as reflexes, muscle strength, balance and coordination are also analysed. Previously, President Biden has had neurological tests done at least thrice during his term.
Cardiovascular evaluations are necessary as well and these may include an electrocardiogram, which checks the rhythm and electrical activity of the heart, an ultrasound of the heart and an exercise stress test conducted on a treadmill or bike.
Blood and laboratory tests are also conducted. Checking cholesterol levels, thyroid function tests, Vitamin D and B12 levels, complete blood count checks and other age-specific tests can be a part of this.
Image credits: Getty Images
Signs for major diseases such as colonoscopy and low-dose chest CT are also carried out, along with skin checks and other screening based on medical history.
Dental and eye examinations are also carried out.
Neurocognitive testing is also a part of the medical examination, which like Trump quoted was not done by Biden. This type of testing includes activities such as writing, drawing, measuring cognition, communication, memory, motor skills and more.
After the completion of the tests, the doctors also discuss the President’s diet, sleep exercise, alcohol use, stress management and more in order to suggest advice if needed.
It is after all these tests and examinations that the report is released to the public with any key findings that must be shared.