Washington, May 26 (IANS) US President Donald Trump underwent a routine annual medical and dental examination at Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre on Tuesday amid continued public attention over his health ahead of his 80th birthday next month.

Trump stayed at Walter Reed for more than two-and-a-half hours after his motorcade arrived at the Bethesda, Maryland, facility at 8:51 a.m. The motorcade departed at 12:27 p.m., according to White House pool reports.

The White House said the appointment involved “routine annual dental and medical assessments” as part of Trump’s “regular preventative health care”. The visit marked Trump’s third scheduled medical appointment at Walter Reed in the past 13 months.

The White House said Trump met military personnel and staff during his visit to the medical centre.

Trump, who turns 80 on June 14, has faced growing public scrutiny over his health in recent months. The New York Times reported that attention has focused on visible bruising on his hands and swelling in his legs during recent public appearances.

White House attributed the bruises to frequent handshakes, while doctors said swelling in Trump’s legs was linked to chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that affects blood flow in the veins.

The Hill reported that Trump underwent a CT scan during an earlier visit to Walter Reed after his medical team sought to “definitely rule out any cardiovascular issues”. According to the report, Trump’s physician, Dr Sean Barbabella, said the scan was “perfectly normal and revealed absolutely no abnormalities”.

Trump takes around 325 milligrams of aspirin daily for “cardiac prevention”. Trump told The Wall Street Journal in an earlier interview that aspirin contributed to bruising on his hands.

White House doctors are expected to release a summary of the examination, although presidential medical disclosures have historically varied in detail and transparency.

Trump has repeatedly pushed back against questions about his age and health and frequently attacked former President Joe Biden over fitness concerns during the 2024 presidential campaign. The issue of age became a major focus in the last election cycle as both Trump and Biden became the oldest major-party presidential candidates in US history.

–IANS

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