After President Donald Trump was given a clean bill of health by White House physician Dr. Ronny Jackson on Tuesday, CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta disputed his report, claiming that the president’s health demonstrates clear evidence of heart disease.
Speaking to CNN on Wednesday, Gupta said that the report made public shows that the president demonstrates clear characteristics of heart disease, which may lead to more serious health conditions later on in his presidency. Specifically focusing on his coronary calcium score, which looks at how much calcium-containing plaque is flowing through the arteries, Gupta observes that Trump’s calcium score has been gradually growing ever since 2009.
A calcium score of 100 is usually indicative of heart attack or heart disease within three to five years. Trump’s recorded calcium score was 133.
“Because of his diet and because of his lack of exercise, that would be part of the reason those numbers have likely gone up and they have continued to go up despite the fact that he’s been on medications. So the President has heart disease. Those numbers qualify him for heart disease, and he clearly needs a plan to try and prevent some sort of heart problem down the road.”
In his report, Jackson stated Trump was in good physical and mental health, going as far as to say that his cardiac health was “excellent.” A White House official told the Washington Examiner that there was nothing to add to Jackson’s report, sardonically asking if Gupta needed to take the cognitive exam himself.
Great afternoon in Ohio & a great evening in Pennsylvania – departing now. See you tomorrow Virginia! pic.twitter.com/jQTQYBFpdb
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2016
It isn’t that hard to see the president potentially having heart problems. His eating habits have been a widely talked-about topic on the campaign trail, with his diet consisting mostly of fast food, including McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, Dominos, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. He reportedly drinks 12 cans of Diet Coke a day and can go 14 to 16 hours without eating. When he does eat, it’s usually a whopping 2,400 calories or upwards. One of his favorite regulars is two Big Macs, two Filet-O-Fish sandwiches, and a small chocolate shake from McDonald’s, according to former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski .
Still, for what its worth, Gupta is only reviewing the report and commenting on it, and didn’t have the up-close observation as Jackson did; a fact many critics pointed out to him on Twitter .
A summary of Trump’s health report can be viewed here .
