US President Donald Trump remains in “excellent overall health” after a recent MRI conducted as part of his annual physical, the White House said on Monday, releasing medical details aimed at easing concerns about the 79-year-old leader’s fitness for a second term.
In a memo issued by White House physician Captain Sean Barbabella, advanced imaging of Trump’s heart and abdomen was described as “perfectly normal,” with no signs of arterial narrowing, impaired blood flow, or abnormalities in major vessels.
Barbabella, a Navy emergency physician with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, said the president’s cardiovascular system “shows excellent health,” and that abdominal organs were functioning “within normal limits” with “no acute or chronic concerns.”
The MRI was carried out in October during what officials called a “comprehensive executive physical.” Barbabella said the screening was preventative and aligned with what “men of his age group” may undergo to evaluate potential cardiovascular or abdominal issues early.
The White House had previously declined to say why the test was performed or which areas were scanned, prompting questions from Democrats, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who have demanded fuller disclosure of the president’s health status.
Trump himself dismissed the speculation on Sunday aboard Air Force One, telling reporters he was comfortable releasing the results. Asked what part of his body was scanned, he replied, “I have no idea… It wasn’t the brain, because I took a cognitive test and I aced it.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt publicly read the doctor’s memo during Monday’s briefing, describing the release as an act of transparency the president had promised.
Outside physicians, however, have raised questions about the nature and necessity of the imaging. Dr Carla Perissinotto, a geriatrics specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, said MRIs are not usually part of standard preventive care, though some patients pursue additional testing beyond routine guidelines.
Dr Jeffrey Linder of Northwestern University noted the memo did not clarify whether the procedure was an MRI or a CT scan, and said routine anatomical imaging in patients without symptoms is generally discouraged because risks, such as incidental findings or unnecessary follow-up, can outweigh benefits.
He added that it is unusual for such scans to return “perfectly normal” results with no coronary calcification in someone of Trump’s age.
The president’s physical fitness has drawn renewed attention in recent months after he was seen with swollen ankles, bruising on his right hand, and occasionally nodding off during meetings. In July, the White House said he had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that can cause leg swelling.
Trump underwent his standard annual physical in April, and said following the October visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center that the MRI “was perfect.”
The latest memo, he added, should put lingering questions to rest, though debate over the scope and interpretation of presidential medical disclosures is likely to continue.
Source: BBC
Written By Rodney Mbua
