Trump having tests as part of medical checkup, White House says

BETHESDA, MD. >> President Donald Trump was at Walter Reed National Medical Center today for what the White House said were medical tests as part of his annual physical.

The appointment wasn’t on his weekend public schedule that was released Friday night, and his last physical was in February. Press secretary Stephanie Grisham said the 73-year-old Trump was “anticipating a very busy 2020” and wanted to take advantage of “a free weekend” in Washington to begin “portions of his routine” checkup. She was not more specific about the testing.

Trump’s 2018 and 2019 physicals were announced in advance and appeared on his public schedule.

The February checkup showed he had put on some pounds and was now officially considered obese. His Body Mass Index was 30.4. His weight was 243 pounds and he was 6 feet, 3 inches tall.

Trump spent more than four hours at Walter Reed on Feb. 8 for his most recent checkup, supervised by Dr. Sean P. Conley, his physician, and involving a panel of 11 specialists.

“I am happy to announce the President of the United States is in very good health and I anticipate he will remain so for the duration of his Presidency, and beyond,” Conley wrote afterward.

Test results came out six days later, showing that he weighed 243 pounds, compared with 236 pounds in September 2016 before he became president.

An index rating of 30 is the level at which doctors consider someone obese under the commonly used formula. About 40 percent of Americans are obese. That raises their risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke and some forms of cancer.

Trump doesn’t drink alcohol or smoke. His primary form of exercise is golf.

The physical testing came as House investigators on Capitol Hill interviewed a White House budget official as part of the impeachment inquiry.