Trump regrets undergoing CT to evaluate heart health—cardiologist still baffled by his aspirin use
President Donald Trump’s cardiovascular health is still making headlines.
The president, who turned 79 years old in June and was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency in July, continues to emphasize in interviews that he is in excellent health. In addition, a recent White House statement emphasized that his recent imaging results were “perfectly normal.” However, the lack of details about Trump’s health has resulted in a fair amount of speculation that his care team may have specific concerns.
A Jan. 1 report in The Wall Street Journal focused on Trump’s age and the recent controversy surrounding the fact that he underwent advanced imaging. He spoke to the publication for that story, and his answers included several key updates. For example, Trump explained that he underwent a CT scan to evaluate his cardiovascular health and not an MRI as he had previously stated. He also said that he regrets undergoing that exam, because it gave the public “a little ammunition.”
Trump also said he will not be lowering the large dose of aspirin he takes on a daily basis—325 mg, to be exact—as recommended by physicians.
“They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don't want thick blood pouring through my heart,” Trump told The Wall Street Journal.
Cardiologist has more questions about Trump’s cardiovascular health
Cardiologist Jonathan Reiner, MD, a professor at George Washington University who regularly speaks to CNN about popular topics, has repeatedly stated that Trump and the White House are being too vague about his health. When the network asked him about Trump’s aspirin use, Reiner shared his concerns.
“That makes no sense,” he said. “That actually makes nonsense. First of all, when we use any kind of anticoagulant medications to prevent clotting, those don’t thin the blood—it’s not like changing something from gumbo to chicken soup … it makes you less likely to clot. It used to be that we would treat a lot of people with aspirin therapy to prevent heart attacks, but we’ve learned in recent years that, particularly in people over the age of 70, not only is there no benefit in terms of primary prevention … but there can be hazard. The hazard can be significant bleeding.”
Michael has more than 19 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.