Question

Trump, 79, has "cardiac age" of 65-year-old, doctor says reut.rs/4mZNZbu

Answer 1

This is apparently true, according to a memo written by Trump's physician Sean Barbabella. Reuters reported that the memo reads "His cardiac age - a validated measure of cardiovascular vitality via ECG - was found be approximately 14 years younger than his chronological age." 

Other outlets like the Washington Post also reported on this, noting that while "some outside physicians asked why the president was making his second known visit to Walter Reed in six months and questioned the tone of the report," Trump's physician reported that Trump “remains in exceptional health, exhibiting strong cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological, and physical performance.”

Comments

You did a nice job bringing in multiple outlets like Reuters and the Washington Post, but I think you could go a little deeper on the context. maybe explore why the physicians were skeptical?

Answer 2

This article is supposedly true, as stated in a memo by Sean Barbabella, Trump's physician, which was relased by the White House, featured by Reuters, and noted in the Washington Post. Barbabella states, "his cardiac age - a validated measure of cardiovascular vitality via ECG - was found be approximately 14 years younger than his chronological age". Trump's physician also noted in the memo, "Trump remains in exceptional health, exhibiting strong cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological, and physical performance". With this being said, the memo was posted by multiple credible sources, leading to the conclusion that the provided information is true. 

Answer 3

Reuters headline: “Trump, 79, has "cardiac age" of 65-year-old, doctor says”. The headlined statement was published on Reuters in an article written by Trevor Hunnicutt, Gram Slattery and Steve Holland on October 10th, 2025. 

Since 1851, Reuters has been a news and media organization, with over 200 locations across the U.S. They’ve established themselves as a high quality and reliable source, releasing stories when they matter. In relation to our current chapter, their parent company is Thomson Reuters Corporation.

In this article, they’ve reported on president Donald Trump and his cardiac age. They claim he has a cardiac age 14 years younger than his chronological age. This study comes after facing scrutiny for being the second oldest U.S. president in our history. Trump’s physician Sean Barbabella shared that he’s in excellent condition mentally and physically despite his busy schedule that could take a toll on his health. The article then goes on to state that he’s taking preventative measures against the flu and COVID-19.

A statement in People magazine affirms Dr. Barabella’s statement throughout his three month examination, "thoroughly examined" as a precaution, leading to a diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency, which he described as a "benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70." (Dr. Barabella) This source from People Magazine describes this three month thorough evaluation of Trump’s health and physical exam. People Magazine shares up to date stories on current events often dramatized in headlines. Here they cite Donald Trump’s doctor and what he had to say about his health after examination.

https://people.com/trumps-latest-physical-exam-involved-more-heart-tests-and-vaccines-11827892

4. What potential biases or interests might each of your sources have? Rueter’s is a nationally recognized centrist news source with some theories saying they lean slightly left. After a quick Google search, I found that they’ve faced controversy in their biased corporate ownership but have since come to return to their goal of publishing unbiased news. On the other hand, People could have more at play in their resources. They take a spin on traditional news with a focus on drama and celebrity insider information. With this, you can see how a nationally recognized story on president Donald Trump could be swayed knowing the company's background.

5. What evidence supports the claim you are fact-checking? "Trump remains in exceptional health, exhibiting strong cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological, and physical performance," Trump's physician Sean Barbabella said in the memo, which was made out to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. (Reuters) “Trump's laboratory results were "exceptional," and that his cardiac age is "approximately 14 years younger than his chronological age." (People)

6. What evidence undermines the claim you are fact-checking? “In July, the White House disclosed that Trump was experiencing swelling in his lower legs and bruising on his right hand, after photographs showed the president with swollen ankles and makeup covering the afflicted part of his hand.” (Reuters) “Barbabella's note in July addressed the bruising more formally, saying that it is "consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen." (People)

Answer 4

This report is evidently true. I looked into the article posted by Reuters that is referenced in this claim and found that it focuses on the health report given by Trump's physician, Sean Barbabella. In this report Barbabella does say "His cardiac age - a validated measure of cardiovascular vitality via ECG - was found be approximately 14 years younger than his chronological age," (Reuters). In order to get more insight on the validity of this report I decided to look for articles that were posted by both sides of the possible biases that may be present, though Reuters tends to fall very close to the center of that bias. 

I looked into New York Post as a source that is much more right leaning than Reuters is, though it is important to note that it does generally have a lower level of reliability. This article largely only reports the findings of the medical examination with no further elaboration. There is one mention of this examination taking place 6 months after a routine examination that declared him in excellent health and that 3 months after that examination Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, but nothing more to elaborate on that. 

Washington Post is more left leaning in their reporting compared to Reuters and in an article examining the same medical report, and while they do reflect the reports of Barbabella's examination that Trump is in excellent health, they also factor in the many suspicions experts have about said report. Jonathon Reiner, former cardiologist to former vice president Dick Cheney, along with other experts are in favor of the president getting an examination done by an independent physician as many call into question the legitimacy of the report given. Washington Post also points out that usually US Presidents only visit Walter Reed National Military Medical Center once a year, yet this report comes from a visit just 6 months after a previous visit that stated he was in perfect health. 

When looking at all three of these articles it is true that Sean Barbabella reported that Trump's cardiac health is 14 years younger than his cognitive one, the Washington Post reports on the suspicions that many have about this claim. 

Sources:

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-79-get-second-medical-check-up-this-year-2025-10-10/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/10/11/trump-physical-doctor/

https://nypost.com/2025/10/10/us-news/trumps-doctor-touts-presidents-exceptional-health-after-undergoing-physical/

Answer 5

According to what I found, this claim is true. In the Reuters report it was stated that, "Donald Trump was found to be in "exceptional health" in a medical evaluation, the U.S. president's doctor said in a memo released by the White House on Friday, with his "cardiac age" 14 years younger than in "chronological age." 

The Washington Post reported the same thing as the Reuters article stating that, "Barbabella added that Trump’s cardiac age was 14 years younger than his 79 years, according to the results of an electrocardiogram." And other sources, though less reputable such as First Post reported the same information as the original article. 

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-79-get-second-medical-check-up-this-year-2025-10-10/?link_source=ta_bluesky_link&taid=68e9b58380da070001f26547&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky

https://www.firstpost.com/explainers/how-healthy-is-donald-trump-what-is-his-cardiac-age-13941205.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/10/11/trump-physical-doctor/

 

The Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com › trump-physical-doctor

Answer 6

This article from Reuter’s uses a memo from Trump’s physician Sean Barbella as its main evidence to support this claim. The memo states that despite being the oldest president to take office, Trump is in exceptional physical health, to the point that his heart is equivalent to that of a man almost 15 years younger. This comes as a surprise because the president is not exactly known for his health-conscious lifestyle.

His rigorous, high intensity schedule is not conducive to being easy on the heart, and neither is his reported diet. According to the New York Times Trump’s diet is heavy on fast food and sugar. While eating fast food on the campaign trail is a common tactic to appear more relatable to the voters, an interview in the Daily Mail reveals that he eats junk food “several times a week.” In addition, the only form of exercise we see the president regularly engage in is golf which likely does little to offset the detrimental factors in his lifestyle. An official memo from his first term conveniently recorded Trump as a single pound under the threshold of obesity. While this could be entirely accurate, it definitely comes off as trying to establish a narrative about Trump’s health. We also saw in the preceding president there were situations where health concerns were diminished in order to portray the commander in chief as a fit leader. According to NPR, staff officials chose not to perform a cognitive assessment on Biden in his final year as president. While there is no requirement for a president to share their medical records, it makes sense that they would only be published to fit a certain narrative. Reuters is a widely recognized reliable source and the reporting was accurate- the president’s doctor evaluates his cardiovascular health as exceptional for his advanced age. It is important to evaluate this claim alongside reports concerning his lifestyle choices to see if maybe there is bias present in the doctor’s memo. One final note to consider is that according to the National Institute of Health, the “Heart Age Test” is not a reliable indicator of cardiovascular health. Bottom line however, the claim that Trump’s physician reported him to be in incredible cardiovascular health is true.

Answer 7

This statement appears to be true. The original Reuters article quotes a memo released by the White House from Cap. Sean Barbabella, Physician to the President. The Reuters article did not link the memo, but I found it on X. The original memo corroborates the information included in the Reuters article, saying that, "[Trump's] cardiac age - a validated measure of cardiovascular vitality via ECG - was found to be approximately 14 years younger than his chronological age." According to Health Digest, cardiac age is different from your chronological age, because it is effected by your overall health. By having a lower cardiac age than your chronological age, your heart has a lesser risk for heart attacks or other cardiovascular issues.

Other news sites such as the New York Post, CBS News, NBC News, and the Washington Post wrote similar stories, each citing the original memo that states Trump's cardiac age is lower than his chronological age.

It's important to note that while the Physician to the President is expected to be politically neutral and unbiased, there is inherent conflict between the President's right to privacy and honesty to the public. Multiple presidents in the past, including Trump, have been accused of hiding health issues to the public, aided by their physicians. Trump's previous physician claimed that the president himself wrote his "Letter From the Physician" memo during his first term in 2016.

However, this is based off speculation and has never been confirmed. Due to multiple reliable sources reporting this, I believe this claim is true.