In a memo sent to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, President Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, detailed the results of his routine physical and colonoscopy on Friday.
“The president remains fit for duty, and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations,” O’Connor said of the president, who turned 79 on Saturday.
In the six-page document, the doctor noted the “increasing frequency and severity” of Biden’s “’throat clearing’” while speaking. While he said Biden has been doing this for the 13 years he’s been under his care, it has gotten worse in recent months.
“This being the case, I sought speciality consultation from both Otolaryngology and Gastroenterology,” he said. After several tests, O’Connor said his “original assessment that gastroesophageal reflux is the source of the President’s throat clearing and coughing.”
The second observation O’Connor made is that Biden’s walking has become “stiffer and less fluid” than a year ago.
“After careful analysis of the patient’s history, findings on detailed physical exam and review of radiologic imaging, the team concluded that much of his stiffness is in fact a result of degenerative (‘wear and tear’) osteoarthritic changes (or spondylosis) of his spine,” he wrote.
After the detailed report, O’Connor said Biden “remains a healthy, vigorous, 78-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief.”