Doctor deems Harris in 'excellent health.' Her team aims to contrast with Trump's scant medical info

[October 14, 2024]  By DARLENE SUPERVILLE

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is in “excellent health” and “possesses the physical and mental resiliency” required to serve as president, her doctor said in a letter released Saturday that summarizes her medical history and status.

Dr. Joshua Simmons, an Army colonel and physician to the vice president, wrote that Harris, 59, maintains a healthy, active lifestyle and that her most recent physical last April was “unremarkable.”

She “possesses the physical and mental resiliency required to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief,” he wrote in a two-page letter.

Harris' campaign hopes the release of her medical report will draw a contrast with Republican Donald Trump, who has shared only limited information about his health over the years, and raise questions about his fitness to serve, according to a campaign aide who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

Trump has released very little health information, including after his ear was grazed by a bullet during an assassination attempt in July in Pennsylvania.

Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, said Saturday that Trump has voluntarily released updates from his personal physician as well as detailed reports from Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, who, before he was elected to Congress, was Trump's physician at the White House. Jackson also treated Trump after the assassination attempt.

“All have concluded he is in perfect and excellent health to be Commander in Chief,” Cheung said in a statement. The campaign press office provided links to some of Trump's past medical reports. They included: https://tinyurl.com/yckc495b and https://tinyurl.com/4z27pk2f

If Trump, who is 78, were to be elected next month, he would be the oldest president in U.S. history by the time his term ends in 2029.

Harris addressed the issue on Saturday before she traveled to North Carolina.

“It's clear to me that he and his team do not want the American people to really see what he is doing and if he is fit to be the president,” she told the reporters accompanying her.

Asked if she thought Trump's mental acuity had declined, Harris said, “I invite the public to watch his rallies and be the decision-maker.”

Simmons, who said he has been Harris’ primary care physician for the past 3 1/2 years, said the vice president has a history of seasonal allergies and urticaria, or hives. She has been able to “dramatically” improve her symptoms over the past three years with an immunotherapy medication that helps the body become less sensitive to allergens.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to the press before boarding Air Force Two at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, en route to North Carolina for a campaign event. (Brendan Smialowski/Pool via AP)

Simmons said Harris’ latest blood work and other test results were “unremarkable.” Her blood pressure is not worryingly high and she is at low risk for heart disease.

According to the summary of an exam conducted six months ago, Harris' vital signs showed a blood pressure of 128 over 74, a heart rate of 78 beats per minute, 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 amount of oxygen in a person's blood.

Simmons reported that Harris' head, eyes, ears, nose and pharynx are normal.

Also in the report: Harris wears contact lenses for mild nearsightedness; her family history includes maternal colon cancer; she is up to date on preventive care recommendations, including having a colonoscopy and annual mammograms, as well as routine immunizations.

Harris' mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was 70 when she died of colon cancer in February 2009.

The vice president “maintains a healthy, active lifestyle, despite her busy schedule,” including “vigorous daily aerobic exercise and core strength training," Simmons reported. She eats a healthy diet, does not use tobacco products and drinks alcohol “only occasionally and in moderation,” he wrote.

As Harris' office released the medical report, her campaign highlighted recent media reports raising questions about Trump's health and mental acuity and his reluctance to provide detailed information about the state of his health and medical history.

Trump eagerly questioned President Joe Biden's physical and mental fitness when the 81-year-old sought reelection. Since Biden dropped out of the race and was replaced by Harris on the Democratic ticket, Trump's health has drawn more attention.

Last November, Trump marked Biden's birthday by releasing a letter from his physician that reported the former president was in “excellent” physical and mental health. The letter posted on Trump’s social media platform contained no details about his weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, or the results of any tests to support its claims.
___

Associated Press writer Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report.

All contents © copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved