White House physician says Trump 'remains healthy' following his latest physical and confirms the president took hydroxychloroquine
- President Donald Trump "remains healthy" with "no findings of significance or changes to report" from his annual physical, according to a memo from White House physician Sean Conley.
- According to his doctor, Trump is six feet and three inches tall and weighs 244 pounds, a one-pound increase over his reported weight in 2019.
- Based on his body-mass index, the president is obese.
- In the memo on Trump's physical, Conley also confirmed that he prescribed a two-week course of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine with zinc and vitamin D for COVID-19 prevention.
The White House physician released a memo on Wednesday concluding President Donald Trump "remains healthy" with "no findings of significance or changes to report" based on his most recent medical examinations.
Chief White House physician and former Navy commander Sean Conley said that he conducted the physical over several visits between November 2019 and April 2020.
Trump, who is six feet and three inches tall, weighs in at 244 pounds, a one-pound increase over his reported weight in his 2019 physical examination. In 2018, Trump's physical examination reported his weight was 239 pounds.
The president's height and weight give him a body mass index (BMI) of 30.5, which is considered obese.
Trump, who turns 74 years old on June 14, has a resting heart rate of 63 beats a minute and blood pressure of 121/79 mmHg.
In the memo on Trump's physical, Conley also confirmed that he prescribed a two-week course of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine with zinc and vitamin D in addition to Trump's daily regimen of Aspirin, cholesterol drug Rosuvastatin, and Finasteride, a drug that is used to treat both prostate problems and hair loss in men.
At a May 18 event with restaurant industry executives at the White House, Trump claimed to be taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventative measure against COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Trump has repeatedly pushed hydroxychloroquine as both a treatment and prevention for coronavirus. He has claimed, without citing any evidence, that doctors and frontline workers take it to avoid being infected.
There is no evidence that hydroxychloroquine, a drug Trump has heavily promoted as a COVID-19 treatment, is safe or effective at preventing or successfully treating the disease.
Two West Wing staffers, a US Navy service member detailed to the White House who works as a valet to Trump, and Vice President's Mike Pence's press secretary Katie Miller, have tested positive for COVID-19. Both Trump and Pence are regularly tested, along with other West Wing officials.
Taking the drug, which is approved treat conditions including malaria, lupus, and arthritis without proper medical justification or supervision can also lead to dangerous side effects, including heart problems.
Conley's memo said Trump's usage of hydroxychloroquine was "done in consultation with his appropriate care team members" with "close monitoring" of his EKG levels.
While the Food and Drug Administration has temporarily authorized the drug to be used for COVID-19 in clinical trials and in some hospital settings, the agency warned that hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine "have not been shown to be safe and effective for treating or preventing COVID-19" and "can cause abnormal heart rhythms such as QT interval prolongation and a dangerously rapid heart rate called ventricular tachycardia."