President Joe Biden talks to members of media before departing the White House for East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 16, 2024.Photo:Anna Moneymaker/Getty
Anna Moneymaker/Getty
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.
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.
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.
President Joe Biden walks to Marine One with a coffee in hand ahead of his annual physical exam on Feb. 28, 2024.Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty
Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty
Biden is the oldest president in United States history and has been under a magnifying lens in recent months as heseeks another four years in office. He and the next-oldest U.S. president, 77-year-oldDonald Trump, are barreling toward an electoral rematch in November, putting the politicians' health and mental acuity at the front of voters' minds.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer.
In February 2023, O’Connorcalled Biden a “healthy” and “vigorous 80-year-old"after the yearly exam, adding that he “remains fit for duty.” The physician used similar language ina 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.”
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.
source: people.com
