U.S. media have grown more skeptical of the president’s health and age since he showed noticeable bruising on his hands
U.S. President Donald Trump has disclosed that he takes a daily aspirin dose higher than what’s recommended and has attributed the bruising on his hands to the medication—something that’s fueled media speculation in the U.S. over the past few months.
He shared these remarks in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that was released on Thursday.
“They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart,” Trump said. “I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?”
Trump takes 325 milligrams of aspirin daily for “cardiac prevention,” the WSJ reported, referencing his personal physician, Sean Barbabella. The outlet noted, citing the Mayo Clinic, that a low dose is typically 81mg.
The U.S. leader stated he rejected suggestions to reduce the dose, saying he’s taken it every day for 25 years and is “a little superstitious.”
A Mayo Clinic analysis provided by the White House has pegged the president’s cardiac age at 65, the WSJ noted.
When the newspaper asked about other health habits, Trump acknowledged that even though he was prescribed compression socks to address leg swelling, he stopped using them because he “didn’t like them.”
He also said he has no interest in exercise besides golf. “I just don’t like it,” he stated, adding that spending hours on a treadmill is “boring.”
In a Truth Social post on Friday, Trump said that White House doctors have pronounced him in “perfect health.” He added that he had “aced” a cognitive exam and called for all U.S. presidents and vice presidents to take such a test.
During his reelection campaign last year, the 79-year-old frequently called for his predecessor, Joe Biden, to take a cognitive exam due to the then-president’s purported mental decline late in his term. The Democrat—who was the oldest person to serve as U.S. president—left office at 82 after facing questions about potential cognitive deterioration following a poorly received debate with Trump.