Donald Trump has had his first yearly medical exam as returning president and says he ‘has never felt better’

Donald Trump has had his annual check-up with the presidential doctor after saying he has “never felt better”.

Mr Trump is the oldest person to assume the US presidency and the visit to the Walter Reed medical facility marked his first as the returning president.

Often seen knocking back a Big Mac and coke, the energised commander in chief often mentions his robust physical and mental health.

“I have never felt better, but nevertheless, these things must be done!” 78-year-old Trump wrote in a post on the Truth Social platform, announcing the planned exam.

The physical could offer the first clear look at Trump’s condition since his ear was grazed by a bullet in an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last July.

His campaign released a report by Ronny Jackson, Trump’s former White House doctor, saying the injuries were superficial.

The White House typically determines what data will be released from a president’s health exam. Trump is not compelled to release any information, and there is no template for the presidential exam. Trump released only limited information about his health during his presidential campaigns.

During the 2024 election, Trump drew sharp contrasts with his predecessor, Joe Biden, now 82, claiming he was younger and fitter.

A White House doctor said in 2018 when Trump was serving his first term that he was in overall excellent health but needed to shed weight and start a daily exercise routine.

In the January 2018 evaluation, Trump appeared to be in “excellent” cardiovascular shape for his age, according to then-White House physician Dr. Ronny Jackson, who administered Trump’s nearly four-hour physical exam at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center said.

The president’s medical issues were limited to high cholesterol, rosacea (a benign skin disease) and being considered “overweight,” as measured by the body mass index (BMI).

Trump’s LDL cholesterol level was 143 and total cholesterol level was 223, higher than the recommended total of 200. The LDL cholesterol, in particular, is significantly higher than the recommended level of 100.

His BMI – or body mass index - is calculated at 29.9, using the National Institutes of Health calculator, which is just shy of the obesity classification, which starts with a score of 30.

Mr Trump included a cognitive exam, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, as part of his physical during his first term, and his doctor later said he scored 30 out of 30.

Joe Biden released detailed summaries of his physical exams while in office, but several books published in recent months have raised questions about his mental acuity in his final months in the White House.

with AAP.