Donald Trump’s doctor says his ‘cardiac age’ is 14 years younger but US President needs to ‘lose weight’

3 min readMay 30, 2026 12:18 PM IST

White House physician Dr Sean Barbabella Friday released the results of United States President Donald Trump’s annual physical examination, declaring him to be in “excellent health, demonstrating strong cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, and overall physical function.”

“Cognitive and physical performance are excellent. He is fully fit to carry out all duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State,” Dr Barbabella wrote in the report, as per CNN.

However, the physician recommended him to lose weight and increase physical activity, as part of preventive care. “Preventive counseling was provided,” during the examination on Tuesday, Dr Barbabella wrote, “including guidance on diet, recommendation to take a low-dose aspirin, increased physical activity, and continued weight loss.”

This was Trump’s third visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center since he assumed office in January 2025. He last visited the Center for a medical exam in October last year, just six months after he underwent another regular physical checkup.

These visits mark a clear departure from the traditional pattern of presidents undergoing only one comprehensive medical exam per year.

What report revealed about Trump’s health?

The president’s health evaluation report included an overall review of the diagnostic studies and laboratory tests conducted over 2025-26, in consultations with 22 medical specialists.

The report comes just three days after Trump took to Truth Social to share his health update following his visit to the Medical Center, saying “everything checked out perfectly”. It is noteworthy that Trump, soon to turn 80, is the oldest person to be running as the US president.

“Al-enhanced electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis estimated his cardiac age… to be approximately 14 years younger than his chronological age,” the medical report stated.

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The readout also stated that Trump underwent a “comprehensive neurological exam,” which showed “normal mental status, intact cranial nerves, normal motor strength, sensation, reflexes, gait, and balance.”

The president also took the Montreal Cognitive Assessment — a 10-minute screening test to detect mild cognitive impairment and early dementia — where he scored 30 out of 30.

Past health concerns

Since Trump returned as the US President last year, speculation over his health has persisted, prompting the White House to disclose the diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency. While the condition is common among the elderly population, some photographs showed swelling in his feet. This raised concerns about his health.

In the latest report, the president’s doctor declared the swelling had improved as compared to the previous year. “Slight lower leg swelling was noted, with improvement from last year,” it stated.

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The President also developed visible bruising on his hands, which the White House doctor later attributed to a combination of “frequent handshaking” and aspirin use, which can increase bruising, according to CNN.

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