Doctor believes Kamala Harris is in 'excellent health'

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WASHINGTON – Vice President Kamala Harris is in “excellent health” and “possesses the physical and mental resilience” required to serve as president, her doctor said in a letter released Saturday that summarized her medical history and health.

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Dr. Joshua Simmons, an Army colonel and the vice president's physician, wrote that Harris, 59, leads a healthy, active lifestyle and that her most recent tests last April were “unremarkable.”

“He possesses the physical and mental resilience necessary to successfully perform the duties of president, including those of chief executive, head of state and commander in chief,” he wrote in a two-page letter.

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

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Trump has revealed very little information about his health, including: after a bullet hit his ear during an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania in July.

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said Saturday that Trump had voluntarily released updates from his personal doctor, as well as detailed reports from Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas, who was Trump's White House physician. Jackson treated Trump after the assassination attempt.

“Everyone recognized that he was in excellent and excellent health to be commander-in-chief,” Cheung said in a statement. The campaign press office provided links to some of Trump's previous medical reports. These included: https://tinyurl.com/yckc495b and https://tinyurl.com/4z27pk2f

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Simmons, who said he has been Harris' primary care physician for 3 1/2 years, said the vice president suffers from seasonal allergies and hives. Over the past three years, she has managed to improve her symptoms “dramatically” with immunotherapy drugs, which help the body become less sensitive to allergens.

Simmons said Harris' most recent blood work and other test results were “not noteworthy.” Her blood pressure is not alarmingly high and her risk of heart disease is low.

According to a 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 and a respiratory rate of 16 breaths per minute. minutes and a temperature of 98.7 degrees. Pulse oximetry measures the amount of oxygen in a person's blood.

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Simmons reported that Harris' head, eyes, ears, nose and throat were normal.

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Also in the report: Harris wears contact lenses for mild myopia; her mother had a family history of colon cancer; is up to date with preventive recommendations, including colonoscopies and annual mammograms, as well as routine vaccinations.

Harris' mother, Shyamala Gopalan, died of colon cancer in February 2009 at the age of 70.

The vice president “maintains a healthy, active lifestyle despite his busy schedule,” which includes “daily vigorous aerobic exercise and core strength training,” Simmons said. He eats a healthy diet, does not use tobacco products, and drinks alcohol “only occasionally and in moderation,” he wrote.

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After Harris' office released the medical report, her campaign noted recent media reports raising questions about Trump's health and mental capacity and his failure to disclose information about his health and medical history.

Trump, 78, passionately questioned President Joe Biden's health as the 81-year-old president ran for re-election. Since Biden dropped out and was replaced by Harris on the Democratic ticket, more attention has been paid to Trump's health.

Last November, Trump marked Biden's birthday by releasing a letter from his doctor saying the former president was in “excellent” physical and mental health.

The letter, posted on Trump's social media platform, provided no details to back up his claims – no indicators such as weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, nor the results of any tests.

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

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