Biden’s Doctor Says He Is ‘Healthy’ and ‘Vigorous’

WASHINGTON — President Biden, the oldest person ever to lead the nation, is in good health, his doctor said Thursday following a physical exam conducted just weeks before the 80-year-old occupant of the Oval Office is expected to say he is running for a second term.

Kevin C. O’Connor, the president’s longtime physician, said in a letter released by the White House that Mr. Biden’s health has not significantly worsened since his last physical about 15 months ago.

“President Biden remains a healthy, vigorous, 80-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency, to include those as chief executive, head of state and commander in chief,” Mr. O’Connor wrote.

In the letter, Dr. O’Connor said that a “small lesion” on Mr. Biden’s chest was excised on Thursday and will be sent for a biopsy to determine whether it is cancerous. Several small non-melanoma skin cancers on Mr. Biden were removed several years ago.

The assessment of Mr. Biden’s health comes as the president’s party grapples with the idea of nominating someone for a second term who, if he wins, would be 86 years old by the time he leaves office.

Public opinion surveys show that a majority of Democrats would prefer a different standard-bearer to face off against former President Donald J. Trump or another Republican nominee in the 2024 election. In a recent NBC News poll, 28 percent of respondents said Mr. Biden possesses the “necessary mental and physical health to be president.” Fifty-four percent said he does not.

White House aides bristle at the suggestion that Mr. Biden is not up to the job, physically.

“The president always says this, which is, ‘Watch me,’” Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said Thursday before the memo from the doctor was released to the public. “And if you watch him, you’ll see that he has a grueling schedule, and he keeps up with that.”

Mr. Biden has become noticeably slower in his movements in recent years, walking stiffly as he makes his way to the podium.

Dr. O’Connor said the stiffness is the result of “significant spinal arthritis, mild post-fracture foot arthritis and a mild sensory peripheral neuropathy of the feet” for which the president receives physical therapy to regain more flexibility.

The doctor said that testing done in 2021 showed that Mr. Biden did not show signs of “any cerebellar or other central neurological disorder, such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s or ascending lateral sclerosis.”

Administration officials and others who meet with him privately say he asks pointed, relevant questions and engages in lengthy, sometimes highly detailed, discussions about the policy challenges facing the country.

Mr. Biden last received a physical toward the end of 2021, and was given a largely clean bill of health by his doctor.

At the time, Dr. O’Connor said that the president remained “fit for duty” and could fully exercise the duties of the presidency.

On Thursday, he said that not much had changed.

Mr. Biden continues to have nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, for which he receives the drug Eliquis, a blood thinner. He also continues to have gastroesophageal reflux that causes him to have to clear his throat frequently, combined with some seasonal allergies, Dr. O’Connor said.

Dr. O’Connor said that the most significant health issue that Mr. Biden faced since his last physical was a previously disclosed bout with Covid last summer.

“Fortunately, having been fully vaccinated and twice boosted at the time of initial infection, the president experienced only mild symptoms, consisting mostly of a deep, loose cough and hoarseness,” Dr. O’Connor wrote.

He added: “The president has not experienced any residual symptoms which may be considered to be ‘long Covid.’”