Biden’s doctor says he is ‘fit for duty’ after medical examination
PRESIDENT Joe Biden on Wednesday (Feb 28) was declared “fit for duty” by his longtime doctor, who said the president had undergone an “extremely detailed” neurological exam that did not turn up evidence of stroke, neurological disorders or Parkinson’s disease.
In a summary of Biden’s third presidential physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Dr Kevin O’Connor did not say whether the examination contained common tests for assessing cognitive decline or detecting signs of dementia that are often recommended for older adults.
O’Connor said that a team of doctors, including a neurologist, two orthopedists and a physical therapist, examined the president, whom O’Connor described as an “active 81-year-old white male.” Earlier in the day, Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, declined to give specifics about the tests Biden had undergone but said that the president “doesn’t need” a cognitive exam.
Biden, the oldest president in the country’s history, is facing widespread concerns over 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 characterisation the president vehemently opposed.
On Wednesday, Biden answered questions about the results of his exam with a joke.
“They think I look too young,” he told reporters during a roundtable with law enforcement officials at the White House. “There is nothing different than last year,” he said, adding that “everything’s great.”
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The summary released by O’Connor reflected a lengthy and detailed examination. But the president, his advisers and a team of 20 physicians ultimately declined to provide detailed information about Biden’s cognitive abilities. Doctors use their discretion in providing assessment tests, and not all doctors perform them. Physicians often use conversations with patients as a screening device.
In his summary, O’Connor said the examination of Biden had raised “no new concerns.”
As the presidential election heats up, the president has tried in recent days to assuage concerns over his age by reframing the focus on his likely Republican challenger, former President Donald Trump, who is four years younger and who makes a number of exaggerated or outright false claims at his public appearances.
Biden, O’Connor noted on Wednesday, has been “happily married for 46 years” and works out at least five days a week. NYTimes
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