Donald Trump has been a contentious presidential candidate ever since he entered the scene last year, making a plethora of statements that would have left essentially any other candidate dead in the water. In the end, these continued instances have led to one overarching question: is Trump fit for the presidency?
Well, as it turns out, he is — as far as his health is concerned.
To be clear, Trump's capacity to lead as president based on his health has never been seriously called into question — unlike Hillary Clinton, whose recent bout with pneumonia has left many Americans unsure about her state of health. However, with his rival's camp revealing the status of their candidate, Trump aimed to be more "transparent" by revealing his own status on live television.
Appearing on Thursday's airing of The Dr. Oz Show, Trump pulled out a note from his physician, Dr. Harold Bornstein, which detailed everything from the weight to the medications of the 70-year-old presidential candidate. The verdict? He's overweight, but healthy overall.
The note revealed that Trump has a cholesterol level of 169 and blood pressure of 116/70. His blood sugar level is 99 mg/dL, and his triglycerides, a type of fat found in the blood, are 61 mg/dL.
Furthermore, it revealed that Trump takes a statin drug, called rosuvastatin, which treats high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as well as a low-dose aspirin. His liver function and thyroid function are within the "normal range" and his latest electrocardiogram test and chest X-ray also appeared normal.
The note also revealed that Trump had a prostate-specific antigen level test that resulted in a low score of 0.15. In addition, he had a colonoscopy in 2013 and a transthoracic echocardiogram to examine his heart in 2014, both of which were normal. His calcium score was 98 in 2013.
Lastly, the note stated that Trump's testosterone level is 441.6, "which is actually — is good," according to host Mehmet Oz.
All in all, everything conveyed in the note pointed to Trump being in good health, except for one thing: his weight. The note revealed that Trump is 6-foot-3 and 236 pounds, meaning he has a BMI of 29.5, and thus overweight — something that Trump revealed he has been aiming to address.
"You're 6'3," 236 lbs. as I mentioned," Oz said. "Now, in my mind, I'm thinking your body surface area and your BMI is high. It's probably close to 30, which is sort of the barrier for most people. Do your doctors or your family ever give you a hard time about your weight?"
"Yeah, I think I could lose a little weight," Trump admitted. "I've always been a little bit this way. I think that if I had one thing, I'd like to lose weight. It's tough because of the way I live. But the one thing I would like to do is be able to drop 15 to 20 pounds. It would be good."
It should be noted, however, that Trump having a high BMI doesn't automatically mean he is in poor health. A study conducted by a team of researchers from UCLA earlier this year revealed that the correlation between BMI and actual healthiness isn't as clear as initially believed. With that in mind, especially with all his other stats considered, Bornstein determined that Trump is in "excellent physical health" and has the "stamina" to serve as president.
So, there you have it, Trump is indeed fit to be president — as far as his health is concerned.
