President Biden was declared “fit for duty” by his longtime doctor on Wednesday. He said the president underwent an “extremely detailed” neurological exam that found no evidence of a stroke, neurological disorders or Parkinson’s disease.
In a summary of Mr. Biden’s third presidential physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Dr. Kevin O’Connor did not say whether the exam included common tests to assess cognitive decline or detect signs of dementia that are often recommended for older adults.
Dr. O’Connor said a team of doctors, including a neurologist, two orthopedic surgeons and a physical therapist, examined the president, which Dr. O’Connor was described as an “active 81-year-old white male.” Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, declined earlier in the day to provide details about the tests Mr. Biden underwent, but said the president “does not require a cognitive exam.”
Mr. Biden, the oldest president in the country’s history, is facing widespread concerns about his age as he campaigns for a second term. Earlier this month, he was described in a special counsel report as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” – a characterization the president vehemently rejected.
On Wednesday, Mr. Biden answered questions about the results of his audit with a joke.
“They think I look too young,” he told reporters during a roundtable with law enforcement officials at the White House. “It’s nothing different than last year,” he said, adding: “Everything is great.”
Those from Dr. O’Connor’s published summary reflected a long and detailed investigation. But the president, his advisers and a team of 20 doctors ultimately declined to provide detailed information about Mr. Biden’s cognitive abilities. Physicians have discretion in performing assessment tests, and not all physicians perform these tests. Doctors often use conversations with patients as a screening tool.
“It is entirely legitimate for the doctor who interacts with a patient on a regular basis to say, ‘I can assess mental status on a daily basis,’” says Dr. Thomas Wisniewski, the director of the Center for Cognitive Neurology at NYU Langone Health, said in a telephone interview. “But not if they see each other once a year.”
Dr. O’Connor is a retired U.S. Army colonel who began working as a White House physician in 2006, when President George W. Bush was in office. He was Mr. Biden’s doctor when Mr. Biden served as vice president, and the president brought him back to the White House in 2021.
In his summary, Dr. O’Connor said Mr. Biden’s investigation had raised “no new concerns,” but he offered updates on several health conditions he noted in previous reports. Last year, Mr. Biden had a cancerous lesion removed from his chest during his exam; On Wednesday, Dr. O’Connor determined that no further treatment of this lesion was necessary.
Mr. Biden suffers from obstructive sleep apnea, a common sleep disorder in which a person’s airways become blocked. Dr. O’Connor noted that the patient was “remarkably committed to sticking with therapy” and sleeps almost every night with a machine that helps clear his airways.
Mr. Biden has also become noticeably slower in his movements in recent months, walking stiffly on his way to the podium at appearances and taking the short stairs straight into the belly of Air Force One rather than the higher stairs to the plane’s upper door. Dr. O’Connor found “moderate to severe spondylosis,” or degeneration, of the intervertebral discs, which he attributed to age-related “wear and tear” on the president’s spine. The doctor also noted that Mr. Biden suffers from peripheral neuropathy, a condition characterized by nerve damage, pain and stiffness of the feet.
Last year, Dr. O’Connor said the stiffness in Mr. Biden’s gait was the result of “significant spinal arthritis, mild post-fracture foot arthritis and mild sensory peripheral neuropathy of the feet,” for which the president is undergoing physical therapy to maintain flexibility.
Mr. Biden’s gait is somewhat faltering, a trait that several people close to the White House say is due in part to his refusal to wear an orthopedic boot after suffering a hairline fracture in his foot before taking office.
This year, said Dr. Connor, a spinal examination revealed “slightly limited range of motion.” Mr. Biden noticed discomfort in his left hip, which Dr. O’Connor attributed it to “mild arthritic changes”. The president’s hip pain “certainly also contributes to his stiff gait,” and Dr. O’Connor said Mr. Biden was undergoing physical therapy and doing an intensive stretching program four to five times a week.
According to the White House letter, Mr Biden weighs 178 pounds with a body mass index of 24.1 – the same as last year. His blood pressure was reported as 132/78 with a pulse of 64. Dr. O’Connor noted several areas of lentigo, or moles, and that Mr. Biden had “slightly reduced” the sensation of hot and cold in his feet. Mr. Biden takes apixaban, an anticoagulant drug that reduces the risk of blood clotting but can easily cause bleeding and bruising.
The president had a total cholesterol level of 122. His high-density lipoprotein level was 45 and his low-density lipoprotein level was 68.
Polls show a majority of Americans have concerns about Mr Biden’s age and his ability to run for a second term. And Mr. Biden has made unforced errors at events, including recalling interactions with foreign leaders who would have been dead at the time of those interactions.
As the presidential election heats up, the president has sought in recent days to allay concerns about his age by turning the spotlight on his likely Republican challenger, former President Donald J. Trump, who is four years younger and a row exaggerated or direct statements makes false claims in his public appearances.
“You have to look at the other guy,” Mr. Biden said during an appearance on “Late Night With Seth Meyers” this week.
“He’s about the same age as me, but he can’t remember his wife’s name,” he added, referring to a video in which Trump, 77, appeared to have forgotten his wife Melania’s name .
Mr. Biden, said Dr. O’Connor on Wednesday said he has been “happily married for 46 years” and works out at least five days a week.
Zach Montague contributed reporting.
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2024-02-29 02:24:58
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