Doctors Hail Bush’s ‘Superior’ Fitness

BETHESDA, Md. —  President Bush was pronounced “fit for duty” after an annual checkup Saturday showed that the 59-year-old commander in chief, an avid mountain bike rider, had lost 8 pounds since his last physical exam in December.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Bush said as he left the National Naval Medical Center in suburban Washington.

In December, Bush weighed 199.6 pounds, 6 pounds more than in the summer of 2003. He attributed the weight gain to too many doughnuts during his reelection campaign.

On Saturday, the scale showed the nearly 6-foot Bush at 191.6 pounds.

A four-page medical summary issued by the White House said Bush remained in the “superior” fitness category for a man of his age.

A separate statement signed by nine doctors who conducted the physical said there was “every reasonable expectation that he will remain fit for duty for the duration of his presidency.”

Doctors prodded and probed the president for a little more than three hours, checking his heart, lungs, eyes, muscles and skin.

Doctors used liquid nitrogen to freeze a noncancerous skin growth on his neck. The medical summary indicated that the president had skin lesions consistent with sun damage and recommended that he use sunscreen and wear a hat.

“He’s in superior health,” White House spokesman Dana Perino told reporters after Bush returned to the White House. “I think you all know he’s got a terrific fitness routine. It’s a good example for Americans.”

His exercise regimen includes pedaling his mountain bike at up to 18 mph for 15 miles to 20 miles a week; doing low-impact “hill work” on a treadmill; and free weight resistance training and stretching.

The president’s medical profile shows a low to very low risk of coronary artery disease. His resting pulse rate dropped to 47 beats per minute from 52. Well-trained athletes typically have resting pulse rates of 40 to 60 beats per minute.

Doctors made Bush run on a treadmill for 26 minutes as part of a test that evaluated the performance of his heart. His heartbeat reached 183 beats per minute.

He smokes a cigar now and then, takes a daily multivitamin, low-dose aspirin, omega-3 fatty acids that are linked to lower heart disease, and glucosamine/chondroitin to ease stiffness in his joints.

The president stopped running a few years ago and took up cycling because of knee problems. He has a history of injuries related to physical activity, including scrapes and bruises when he has fallen from his bike. In July 2004, he sailed over the handlebars during a ride at his Texas ranch.

He fell this month and collided with a police officer when he took a spin on his bike in Scotland, where he was attending an economic summit.

Presiding over the medical exam were Dr. Richard Tubb, White House physician, and Dr. Kenneth Cooper, the president of the Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas. The seven other doctors included a radiologist, two skin specialists and a sports physician.

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Test results

President Bush’s physical exam Saturday at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., produced these health statistics for the 59-year-old chief executive:

Height: 5 feet, 11 3/4 inches.

Weight: 191.6 pounds.

Blood pressure: resting, 110/64 (below 120/80 is healthy).

Pulse: resting, 47 beats per minute (60-100 is normal for adults; 40-60 is normal for a well-trained athlete).

Body fat: 15.79%.

Cholesterol: High-density lipoprotein 56 (goal is above 40); low-density lipoprotein 100 (optimal is below 100); total cholesterol 178 (below 200 is desirable).

Source: Associated Press