"President Biden is a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male, who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency," Dr. Kevin O'Connor said Wednesday in giving his patient the all-clear after an annual physical. O'Connor's summary memo says "no new concerns" surfaced during the checkup, CNN reports. Biden underwent an "extremely detailed" neurological exam at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center that found no signs of a stroke, neurological disorders, or Parkinson's disease, the doctor said. The team that examined the president included two orthopedists, a neurologist, and a physical therapist, per the New York Times.
The White House had already said Biden would not be given a cognitive test, and O'Connor didn't mention the subject. Physicals often don't include such a test, though older adults frequently are checked for cognitive decline or indications of dementia. Skipping that step seems reasonable in Biden's case, one expert said, per the Times. "For the physician who interacts with a patient on a regular basis, it is perfectly valid for the physician to say, 'I can assess the mental status on a daily basis,'" said Dr. Thomas Wisniewski, director of Center for Cognitive Neurology at NYU Langone Health. "But not if they see each other once a year."
O'Connor did address Biden's stiffness in walking, which he attributed last year partly to spinal arthritis and "a mild sensory peripheral neuropathy of the feet." A contributing factor was a fracture Biden suffered before taking office. This year, a spinal examination found Biden's range of motion slightly decreased, the memo says. Hip pain caused by arthritis is "most certainly also contributing to his stiffened gait," O'Connor said, adding that Biden is undergoing physical therapy and goes through an intensive stretching regimen four or five times a week. (More President Biden stories.)
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