WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden remains «fit» to perform his duties as president, according to a medical memo released by the White House following a routine physical exam Thursday.
«President Biden remains a healthy and vigorous 80-year-old man fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency,» White House physician Kevin O’Connor said in a statement. five page memo.
O’Connor said his assessment was based on a «thorough review» of Biden’s medical history and a detailed physical exam that included specialist consultations at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
After a dermatology consultation, a small lesion on Biden’s chest was removed and sent for a biopsy, O’Connor said.
Biden’s previous physical was in November 2021, when O’Connor also said he was «fit for duty» and able to carry out his responsibilities «without waivers or accommodations.»
At that time, O’Connor first observed that the president, then 78, had a «hardened» gait after a broken foot. In Thursday’s memo, O’Connor said Biden’s gait «remains stiff, but it hasn’t gotten any worse.»
The latest medical evaluation also said that Biden has no residual symptoms from when he contracted covid in July.
Biden continues to take medication and has no symptoms of a heart arrhythmia known as atrial fibrillation, O’Connor said. In addition, she takes medication for her cholesterol, which remains «remarkably low,» the memo says.
The president also experiences acid reflux, so he can sometimes be heard clearing his throat, O’Connor said.
The exam did not include cognitive tests. In a neurological evaluation, the president showed no signs of any problems, according to the memo.
O’Connor said after Biden’s 2021 exam that an «extremely detailed neurological exam» showed no disorders, such as the possibility of a stroke, multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s.
Biden was expected to have his exam in January, but it was postponed due to scheduling conflicts, White House press secretary Karine said. Jean-Pierre said earlier this month.
In 2021, Biden’s exam included a colonoscopy, which required sedation. This time, she did not have a colonoscopy, Jean-Pierre said.
Thursday’s test took about 3 hours, Jean-Pierre said.
In an exclusive interview with NBC News earlier in the day, Biden described his exam by saying, “Well, it all went really well. God love him. Thank God for small favors.»
Biden, now 80, has not explicitly said he plans to run for a second term. He is expected to make a decision and an announcement soon.
If Biden runs again, he will be 81 during the 2024 presidential election and 86 at the end of a second full term.
Prior to his 2021 exam, his previous full medical evaluation was released in 2019 by his campaign when he was running for the Democratic nomination. At the time, O’Connor of George Washington University described Biden as a «healthy, vigorous man of 77 years of age, apt to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, including those of Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in chief».