Trump to undergo annual medical check-up

Donald Trump is undergoing his annual medical check-up on Friday, although the US president has consistently chosen to keep basic facts about his health secret.

There is no guarantee the public will be told about the health of a man who, at the age of 78, was the oldest in US history to be sworn in as president. "I have never felt better, but nevertheless, these things must be done!" Mr Trump posted on his social media site.

He will be examined at Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre in Washington DC, but he will have leeway over what details are released. If history is repeated, his latest physical examination is likely to produce a flattering report that is scarce on details.

It represents the first potential opportunity to discover the status of Mr Trump's health since an assassination attempt against him in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July last year. At that time, Ronny Jackson, a staunch supporter who served as his White House doctor, wrote a memo describing a gunshot wound to Mr Trump's right ear.

He once joked that the president could live to be 200 if he had a healthier diet. Despite Mr Trump promising in a CBS interview last August that he would "very gladly" release his medical records, he never did.

During President Biden's time in office, medical reports have typically included vital statistics like height, weight, heart rate, blood pressure and cholesterol results, along with any medical symptoms. Other checks have included the vital organs and a neurological assessment.

Mr Trump has offered few details about his health over the years, despite repeatedly questioning the physical and mental capacity of his predecessor Mr Biden, who is three years older. In 2020, President Trump contracted COVID-19.

After his recovery, more details emerged that he had been sicker than he had let on. In November 2023, Mr Trump's doctor released a letter to coincide with Mr Biden's 81st birthday, saying Mr Trump was in "excellent" physical and mental health.

Read more:Meet Donald Trump's doctorsKey questions about Trump's health It said that his "physical exams were well within the normal range and his cognitive exams were exceptional.