- President Joe Biden turns 79 today, and his doctor says he is in good health and is fit for office.
- Biden is "healthy" and "vigorous," per a post-physical medical report released by his physician.
- The doctor said the results of a colonoscopy, which briefly put Kamala Harris in charge, were "reassuring."
President Joe Biden turns 79 today, and his doctor says he's in good health and is fit for office.
According to a health summary report from Kevin O'Connor, physician to the president, Biden is "healthy, vigorous" and "fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency."
The report was released Friday, following Biden's first physical in office, and it details the president's current health and recent medical history.
Biden underwent blood, physical, gastrointestinal, dental, vision, and neurological examinations over five hours at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday, ABC News reported.
During a routine colonoscopy, as part of these examinations, Biden briefly transferred his presidential authority to Vice President Kamala Harris while he was under anesthesia. According to O'Connor's report, the results of the procedure were "reassuring."
A 3mm "benign-appearing" polyp was identified and removed "without difficulty," per the physician's report. A histologic evaluation of the polyp will be completed early next week, the report said.
According to a tweet from White House press secretary Jen Psaki, Biden was in "good spirits" after the colonoscopy.
—Jen Psaki (@PressSec) November 19, 2021
The physician's health summary noted that Biden has experienced "increasing frequency and severity" of throat-clearing and coughing during speaking engagements and also has a "stiffer and less fluid" gait than a year ago.
It added he is receiving treatment for several "stable" medical conditions. They included asymptomatic atrial fibrillation with a normal ventricular response, hyperlipidemia, gastroesophageal reflux, seasonal allergies, and mild sensory peripheral neuropathy of both feet.
For these conditions, the report said, he takes three prescription medications and two over-the-counter medications.
Biden's BMI is listed as 25, putting him on the brink of being overweight. The report noted that he doesn't smoke, drink alcohol and that he works out at least five days per week.
The health summary also said that an "extremely detailed" neurological exam was "reassuring," and noted that there were no findings that would be consistent with a stroke, multiple sclerosis, or Parkinson's.
Insider reported last year that the Trump campaign and the GOP made a concerted effort to paint the Democratic nominee as doddering and in "cognitive decline." In October 2020, then-President Donald Trump tweeted that Biden had dementia — an accusation that is not backed by O'Connor's health summary.
Prior to the health summary, Insider reported that a recent Politico/Morning Consult poll found 50% of respondents disagreed when asked if Biden is "in good health," only 40% agreed. The poll also found that voters were closely divided over whether he is "mentally fit," with 46% agreeing that he is and 48% disagreeing.