Facts and figures about President Barack Obama’s health, from a physical examination Sunday at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. Figures are compared with information from a January 2007 physical exam, which were released in May 2008 when Obama, then an Illinois senator, was running for president in 2008. Obama is 48; he was born Aug. 4, 1961.
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 179.9 pounds, including shoes and workout attire.
Blood pressure: resting, seated 105/62 (previously 90/60). Below 120/80 is considered healthy.
Heart Rate: resting and seated, 56 beats per minute. A rate of 60-80 bpm is normal, but heart rates are generally lower in physically fit people.
Body Mass Index: 23.7. Under 25 is considered healthy.
Cholesterol: High-density lipoprotein 62 (previously 68); low-density lipoprotein 138 (previously 96); total cholesterol 209 (previously 173). HDL of 60 and above is considered protective against heart disease. Under 100 LDL is considered optimal. Total cholesterol under 200 is considered desirable.
Overall health: “The president is in excellent health and ‘fit for duty.’ All clinical data indicate that he will remain so for the duration of his presidency.”_ from summary of exam.
Since his last reported physical in 2007, Obama’s cholesterol has increased from the desirable 173 to the borderline high 209.
Although the president’s HDL (good) cholesterol is in the recommended range of 62, his LDL (bad) is in the borderline high range at 138. His doctor recommended dietary changes to bring this type of cholesterol down to below 130.
Obama’s blood pressure has also increased, from 90/60 to 105/62, although it is still in the healthy range.
The president’s doctor recommended that he continue his efforts to quit smoking. The post-exam report indicated that Obama uses a self-administered “nicotine replacement therapy” as part of this goal. He has said in the past that he chewed Nicorette gum.
His doctor said Obama should change his exercise habits to strengthen his legs and prevent occasional pain from chronic tendinitis in his left leg.
Obama should have his next physical when he turns 50 in August 2011, according to the doctor.
Figures for normal levels are from the American Heart Association Web site: http://www.americanheart.org
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