# Trump's health **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 15, 2016, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-health/762963 "2016-08-15T23:33:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-health/762963/41 "2016-08-17T00:15:55Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Actually not so much so. BP meds are not generally initiated unless BP is over 150 systolic or 90 diastolic and the goal is just to get under that or maybe to under 140/80 if being treated aggressively for some reason. A single antihypertensive med will lower BP generally only a few points, not dozens. > > No way he is being treated for hypertension and is at 110/65. It is just not consistent with medical practice. Since I was pregnant, I’ve had labile blood pressure, which means it might be 120/70 in the morning, and four hours later 160/80. My doctor put me on a very low dose of a blood pressure medication, and now it holds pretty steady at about 110/60. Before I was pregnant, I actually had low blood pressure, and it would often be 90/50. I got light-headed if I stood up too fast. I’ve had tests for an underlying problem, and no one can find anything. My father took blood pressure medication for 30 years, and his blood pressure was usually about 120/70. So yeah, blood pressure medication can cause a pretty big drop, especially if you eat well, exercise, and aren’t overweight. That letter was hilarious. The English major in me wanted to correct it with a red pen. Not that I haven’t seen real letters from real doctors with dangling clauses and misplaced modifiers, but no doctor is going to say that most of his tests have “positive” results. In medicine, negative = good; positive = bad. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-health/762963/42 "2016-08-17T02:43:51Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > But, at his funeral, no one is going to day “Don’t he look natural?” Trump’s funeral is going to be yuuuuuge. Like Red Skelton said about Louis B. Mayer, “Give the people what they want, and they’ll turn out for it.” ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-health/762963/43 "2016-08-17T02:50:35Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Trump’s funeral is going to be yuuuuuge. > > Like Red Skelton said about Louis B. Mayer, “Give the people what they want, and they’ll turn out for it.” They’ll be coming out to make sure the SOB is dead. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-health/762963/44 "2016-08-17T04:21:07Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > It’s just an incomprehensibly terrible lie. It’s like a lie a small child would tell, one who understands the idea of lying but doesn’t have enough of an understanding of other people to be able to do it well. You heard Katrina Pierson’s (Trump’s spokesperson) lies that Afghanistan was ‘Obama’s war’? Remember Melania’s plagiarized speech. Or Trump insisting Obama is the founder of ISIS. The Trump team is a bunch of incompetent idiots. The phony doctor note is exactly what I would expect from his campaign. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-health/762963/45 "2016-08-17T04:29:18Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > I’m more concerned about his _mental_ health. We don’t need a doctor’s report on that one. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-health/762963/46 "2016-08-17T04:30:59Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > But, at his funeral, no one is going to day “Don’t he look natural?” “But even under the circumstances, I’m surprised he’s this quiet.” ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-health/762963/47 "2016-08-17T05:56:56Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Actually not so much so. BP meds are not generally initiated unless BP is over 150 systolic or 90 diastolic and the goal is just to get under that or maybe to under 140/80 if being treated aggressively for some reason. A single antihypertensive med will lower BP generally only a few points, not dozens. > > No way he is being treated for hypertension and is at 110/65. It is just not consistent with medical practice. Just to nitpick-according to the [SPRINT](http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1511939#t=article) study, best practice now is to aim for less than 120 systolic. There were dramatic decreases in outcomes especially for patients over 70. I would be skeptial of any internist not aware of this data as it has been all over the journals and CME lately. I wouldn’t let my otherwise healthy patients go above 140/90 regularly without treatment and I would consider 110/65 ideal. The letter states he is only on aspirin and a statin for cholesterol. It is absolutely possible that he does not have the genetic predisposition to hypertension and that his blood pressure is at a normal value of 110/65 even without medication. If he is being treated for hypertension, that is an appropriate goal. The rest of his doctor’s letter is still BS. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-health/762963/48 "2016-08-17T12:15:54Z")
Not an internist (peds) so my apologies for going by 2014 guidelines … but educate me then in this … [Here’s](http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1791497) the 2014 JAMA guideline. > [@](#): > > In the general population aged ≥60 years, initiate pharmacologic treatment to lower blood pressure (BP) at systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥150 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥90 mm Hg and treat to a goal SBP \<150 mm Hg and goal DBP \<90 mm Hg. (Strong Recommendation – Grade A) SPRINT, published late last year, led in your cite for the NEJM editorial board to conclude > [@](#): > > Current guidelines and guideline processes require revision. > > Clearly, our current concept of hypertension is insufficient to determine who benefits from blood-pressure lowering or how far to lower blood pressure. … For people at high cardiovascular risk, a systolic goal of less than 120 mm Hg is appropriate. Substantial effort and resources are required: initial combination therapy was the norm in SPRINT So, first, not quite understanding how that study, from November 2015, which suggests that people _at high cardiovascular risk_ should have a systolic goal of less than 120 mm Hg, means that your practice of aiming for under 120 on _all_ is appropriate. Second, response _is_ typically modest to a single med: 9 mm on average for systolic and 4 mm for diastolic. The hypothetical I responded to of getting down from treatment levels to 110/65 on one med is still _quite_ eyebrow raising. That editorial about SPRINT seems to emphasize how difficult hitting their high cardiovascular risk goal is, begining with multiple meds and monthly support/monitoring/adjustment as needed. Third, indeed he could be blessed with great BP and the number alone is not impossible, but 110 systolic is in the lowest quartile for a healthy 17 year old boy. The [50%ile for his age](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26417366) is 144 systolic and 88 diastolic. What fraction of those you see Trump’s age hit your stated ideal? Agreed the letter is complete BS. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-health/762963/49 "2016-08-17T13:16:14Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I’m in agreement with the author that the strange non-medical wording most likely means that Trump wrote this himself. Well, that’s just silly. I mean, the letter doesn’t even _mention_ the size of his hands. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-health/762963/50 "2016-08-17T16:46:07Z")
Clinton obviously was aware of her age and health going into this. And she knew she might have been facing somebody like Rubio or Walker. So I’m sure she’s prepared a solid defense against accusations about her health if it becomes a significant issue. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-health/762963/51 "2016-08-17T17:01:32Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > …\ > Third, indeed he could be blessed with great BP \… Hey! He has the GREATEST blood pressure in the **world**! ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-health/762963/52 "2016-08-17T19:21:34Z")
> [@pool](#): > > Honestly I mean women tend to outlive men and everything, but to me Hillary looks physically very frail, it looks like she needs help walking up stairs. She’s had a concussion and I think it was a blood clot between her skull and brain. I mean you can’t obviously know somebody’s health from a glance but to me Trump “looks” healthier compared to Hillary, also supposedly he doesn’t drink or smoke. lol! > [@](#): > > It’s just an incomprehensibly terrible lie. It’s like a lie a small child would tell, one who understands the idea of lying but doesn’t have enough of an understanding of other people to be able to do it well. The factual errors are so glaring that whoever wrote it couldn’t possibly have done any research, and the stylistic oddities are so pervasive that it reads like a five-year-old claiming their dad the Army Man goes to space every week and is President of Nintendo. that was nicely put ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-health/762963/53 "2016-08-17T21:27:22Z")
Physician [and author](http://www.preemieprimer.com/) Dr. Jen Gunter does the spadework on Trump’s health letter. Lots of red flags: [I’m a doctor these are the things I find concerning with Trump’s medical letter – Dr. Jen Gunter](https://drjengunter.wordpress.com/2016/08/16/im-a-doctor-these-are-the-things-i-find-concerning-with-trumps-medical-letter/) You don’t need to be a physician to recognize that the letter is laughable, but it’s nice to subject it to informed study. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-health/762963/54 "2016-08-17T21:48:37Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Physician [and author](http://www.preemieprimer.com/) Dr. Jen Gunter does the spadework on Trump’s health letter. Lots of red flags: [I’m a doctor these are the things I find concerning with Trump’s medical letter – Dr. Jen Gunter](https://drjengunter.wordpress.com/2016/08/16/im-a-doctor-these-are-the-things-i-find-concerning-with-trumps-medical-letter/) > > You don’t need to be a physician to recognize that the letter is laughable, but it’s nice to subject it to informed study. In the comments section on that site, someone noted that the good Doctor Bernstein signed his letter with “FACG” (Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology). Upon checking, they found that the doctor is not a fellow of the ACG, and is not even a member. This doctor seems to either be a tad on the shady site, or someone else made this letter up out of whole cloth. I wonder if that is even his real signature? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-health/762963/55 "2016-08-17T21:57:00Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > In the comments section on that site, someone noted that the good Doctor Bernstein signed his letter with “FACG” (Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology). Upon checking, they found that the doctor is not a fellow of the ACG, and is not even a member. This doctor seems to either be a tad on the shady site, or someone else made this letter up out of whole cloth. I wonder if that is even his real signature? At first glance, I read that as FACOG (Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology). :smack: ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-health/762963/56 "2016-08-17T23:31:41Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > This doctor seems to either be a tad on the shady site, or someone else made this letter up out of whole cloth. I wonder if that is even his real signature? Or simply a forgery. The letter read to me like a high school student trying to get out of, or into gym class. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-health/762963/57 "2016-08-17T23:52:35Z")
FWIW, Clinton’s blood pressure was 100/65. I suspect Trump may be upset to find out that he does not have the best blood pressure. BTW[this](http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/2137349-clinton-releases-statement-by-physician-on-her-health/) is what a medical letter should look like. ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-health/762963/58 "2016-08-17T23:53:29Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Or simply a forgery. > > The letter read to me like a high school student trying to get out of, or into gym class. Yup. The only thing that would make it seem phonier is if it said at the bottom ‘signed, Donald’s Doctor’, a la ‘signed Epstein’s Mom’/Welcome Back Kotter. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2016, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-health/762963/59 "2016-08-17T23:58:21Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > FWIW, Clinton’s blood pressure was 100/65. I suspect Trump may be upset to find out that he does not have the best blood pressure. > > BTW[this](http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/2137349-clinton-releases-statement-by-physician-on-her-health/) is what a medical letter should look like. > [@](#): > > Clinton tested negative in a full cardiac evaluation, and in her cancer screenings, the letter said. Well that’s good news! I feel sorry for Trump, who apparently tested positive for cancer and cardiac disease in his tests (according to his own doctor). Poor guy. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-health/762963/60 "2016-08-18T00:05:34Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Or simply a forgery. > > The letter read to me like a high school student trying to get out of, or into gym class. It occurs to me that “To Who My Concern” is the kind of typo one might make if they’re used to saying or hearing the phrase “To _whom I_ concern” but not with writing it out. I wonder if that’s a phrase the Tangerine Nightmare is known to use? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-health/762963.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-health/762963.md?page=4)