Admiral Johnson is a career Navy physician with no special training in internal medicine or cardiology. His expertise is medical care on subs and for divers. He is a certified in emergency medicine, a useful skill if the President is shot or has a major heart attack or stroke.
At the end of the news conference about Trump’s health, Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon and reporter for CNN, asked a question about an exam of Trump’s coronary arteries. READMORE in the NYT
The Navy physician, Admiral Ronny Jackson, tried to spin the answer but the data shows that Trump has advanced atherosclerosis in his coronary arteries.
Despite Admiral Johnson’s spin Trump does have real disease. The fact that the disease is not symptomatic is good but not very reassuring because other studies of Trump’s blood values imply that the disease is likely to progress. More meaningful tests, including a stress test, would have been prudent if Trump were being evaluated as a CEO of a publicly held major company. From what I have read Trump did “pass” that test but no details were given. Likely all they learned is that he does not NOW have ischemic heart disease but that does not remove his risk of a sudden event. Moreover, the disease in his coronaries makes it reasonable to worry about disease in his cerebral vessels and his abdominal aorta. Neither was examined even though at his age it is highly likely that he has some disease in one or the other site.
To be fair, this does say Trump is about to die. However, asymptomatic plaques, the sort that Trump has, often manifest by a sudden event .. plaque rupture. This can kill. Mr. Trump’s sessile life style, eating habits, obesity, and age also make it
reasonable to wish that the exam has included a study of two other vessels very prone to show disease ..the carotid artery that can lead to stroke and the abdominal aorta that can lead to an aortic aneurysm.
So, the good Admiral/doctor description of Mr. Trump as being in “excellent” health is bull shit. Mr. Trump could live to 100, but as his employers we have reason to be concerned.
Trump’s cholestorol readings are through the roof, even though he’s on strong medication for that, and this means his health is anything but “excellent.” Read more here.