Vice President Kamala Harris is in “excellent health” and “possesses the physical and mental resilience” required to function president. her doctor said in a letter A report summarizing her medical history and health status was released on Saturday.
Dr. Joshua Simmons, a U.S. Army colonel and physician to the vice chairman, wrote that Harris, 59, maintains a healthy, energetic lifestyle and that her last physical exam last April was “unremarkable.”
She “possesses the physical and mental resilience necessary to successfully carry out the duties of the presidency, including those as head of government, head of state and commander in chief,” he wrote in a two-page letter.
Harris' campaign hopes to make use of the moment to attract a contrast with Republican Donald Trump, who has released limited details about his health through the years, and lift questions on his fitness for office, in response to a campaign aide who spoke anonymously desired to stay to debate sensitive topics.
Trump has released little or no health information, including after his ear was grazed by a bullet in an assassination attempt in July.
Steven Cheung, a Trump campaign spokesman, said Saturday that Trump voluntarily released updates from his personal doctor in addition to detailed reports from Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, who was Trump's White House doctor. Jackson treated Trump after the assassination.
“Everyone has concluded that he is in perfect and excellent health to become commander in chief,” Cheung said in an announcement. The campaign press office provided links to a few of Trump's previous medical reports. These included: https://tinyurl.com/yckc495b And https://tinyurl.com/4z27pk2f
Simmons, who said he has been Harris' primary doctor for 3 and a half years, said the vice chairman has suffered from allergies and urticaria, also called hives, previously, for which she has undergone allergen immunotherapy for the past three years.
Simmons said Harris' recent blood work and other test results were “unremarkable.”
According to the summary of an examination conducted six months ago, Harris' vital signs showed a blood pressure of 128 over 74, a heart rate of 78 beats per minute, a pulse oximetry of 100% on room air with a respiratory rate of 16 breaths per minute and a temperature of 98, 7 degrees. Pulse oximetry measures the oxygen levels in an individual's blood.
Simmons reported that Harris' head, eyes, ears, nose and throat were normal.
Also within the report: Harris wears contact lenses for mild myopia; there may be a family history of maternal colon cancer; She stays current on preventative care recommendations, including colonoscopy and annual mammograms.
Harris' mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was 70 when she died of colon cancer in February 2009.
The vice chairman “maintains a healthy, active lifestyle despite her busy schedule,” including “intense daily aerobic exercise and core strength training,” Simmons reported. She eats healthily, doesn’t devour tobacco products and drinks alcohol “only occasionally and in moderation,” he wrote.
When Harris' office released the medical report, her campaign highlighted recent media reports that raised questions on Trump's health and mental state, in addition to his failure to offer details about his health and medical history.
Trump, 78, eagerly questioned President Joe Biden's health because the 81-year-old president sought re-election. Since Biden was replaced on the ticket by Harris, Trump's own health has drawn more attention.
Last November, Trump celebrated Biden's birthday by issuing a letter from his doctor, who reported that the previous president was in “excellent” physical and mental condition.
The letter posted on Trump's social media platform didn’t contain any details to support its claims – measurements corresponding to weight, blood pressure and levels of cholesterol, or the outcomes of a test.
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