Trump’s Physical Revealed Serious Heart Concerns, Outside Experts Say
WASHINGTON — Cardiologists not associated with the White House said Wednesday
that President Trump’s physical exam revealed serious heart concerns, including very high levels of so-called bad cholesterol, which raises the risk that Mr. Trump could have a heart attack while in office.
All of the cardiologists said that would be essential in trying to control Mr. Trump’s risk of a heart attack,
though several said they wondered whether Mr. Trump was regularly taking his medicine as prescribed.
Dr. Ronny L. Jackson, a rear admiral and the White House physician, said Tuesday in his report on the president’s medical condition
that Mr. Trump was in “excellent” cardiac health despite having an LDL cholesterol level of 143, well above the desired level of 100 or less.
Outside doctors — who have not directly examined Mr. Trump — questioned
that conclusion, saying that the combination of Mr. Trump’s weight and the cardiac test results raised more concerns than Dr. Jackson’s comments would reflect.
“What was his LDL before he started taking it?”
He noted that a man who recently started taking a statin
and who had an LDL over 200 for most of his life is at much higher risk than someone whose LDL was normal until recently and who then started taking a statin.