Biden’s 2021 Physical Report to the White House: Why He’s Not So Old, But He Has Been Seeking Change
In November, 2021, Biden had his first physical as president. His doctor described him as “healthy” and “vigorous” male fit for presidential duty.
The physical, which occurred earlier in the day at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, did result in a small lesion on Biden’s chest being removed for a biopsy, the results of which are still pending.
In Biden’s 2021, O’Connor said that he had observed two areas of concern: an “increasing number of throat clearings and coughing during speaking engagements” and the president’s walking abnormality.
According to the report, Biden still has a stutter and he was prescribed custom shoes to correct it. He continues to work out five days a week and his contact lens prescription was updated.
Presidents have no obligation to release information about their health and are able to decide which information is public. According to reports from the White House physician, the office-holder is fit to serve.
The same ailments were listed in Biden’s physical report, but it noted that they had not gotten worse. The report said that he dropped six pounds.
As with his previous physical in 2021, the White House did not say whether Biden underwent any cognitive tests, which some doctors recommend for older adults.
Biden, who will be 86 at the end of a potential second term, has been asked about his age and health many times. Even many Democrats say in polls they are concerned about his age. He tries to refute those doubts by pointing to his record, and often says, “Watch me.”
Biden questioned the accuracy of polls that showed a majority of Democrats want someone other than him as their nominee next year. In an interview with Telemundo, he said that was not what he heard. “Look, do you know any polling that’s accurate these days?”
O’Conner’s report on his summer outing with COVID-19 revealed he had suffered a non-valvular atrial fibrillation
The most notable event O’Connor noted in his report about the president’s health over the past year was an upper respiratory infection from COVID-19 last summer. Biden experienced two infections in the month of July, the first lasting about a week and the second lasting a few days.
“The president remains fit for duty, and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations,” O’Connor wrote in his report.
Biden spent a lot of his youth in the sun, O’Connor wrote. He had non-melanoma skin cancers removed before he became president.
The report says Biden is being treated for a non-valvular atrial fibrillation, commonly known as a-fib. An echocardiogram showed his heart is operating normally with no signs of heart failure, part of which the report notes is showing “excellent functional capacity.”
That checkup didn’t reveal anything unexpected: a lingering cough, caused by acid reflux; a stiffened stride attributed to wear and tear; a formerly fractured foot from playing with his dog the year prior; and he had gained a few pounds.
Biden’s mobility issue is attributed to degenerative “wear and tear” on his spine, the same diagnosis from 2021. O’Conner said that Biden’s clearing of his cough and throat was caused by gastroesophageal reflux.