Bush and GMA: Health Reports

US President Bush underwent his annual physical examination at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland two days ago. Here's a peek of his present medical condition:

AGE: 60

Height: 5 feet, 11 and a half inches

Weight: 196 pounds (he weighed 191.6 pounds last year)

Resting (seated) Blood Pressure: 108/68

Resting (seated) Pulse Rate: 46 beats per minute

Lipid Profile: Total Cholesterol-174 (should be below 200)
HDL-60 (should be above 40) LDL-101 (should be below 100)

[SOURCE: Washington Post, 01 Aug 2006 ]

How would I rate him based on the data above? Fit as a fiddle. He is very fit to rule. I have a far worse lipid profile than his. And it is not surprising --- his exercise regimen includes exercising "six times a week by bicycling 15 miles to 20 miles, working out on a treadmill," and "an elliptical trainer, performing free weight resistance training and stretching."

Our very own GMA, however, has been sickly lately. She was hospitalized last week, almost 2 months after her previous hospitalization because of diarrhea.

PRESIDENT Macapagal-Arroyo was a "lot better" yesterday, but may have to stay at the hospital until tomorrow or Monday for a complete bed rest.

A medical bulletin from St. Luke’s Hospital said the President’s fever has gone down and "she feels a lot stronger already." Doctors Joven Cuanang, medical director of St. Luke’s; Juliet Gopez-Cervantes, attending physician; and Ruth Divinagracia, Pulmonologist, signed the medical bulletin.

"The most important thing is she continuously has a very good appetite. However, she needs more rest like just like any other individual who suffers from flu," the medical bulletin added.

The President was rushed to the hospital Thursday afternoon when her temperature shot up to 38.5º Celsius, had chills and complained of body pains.

[SOURCE: Journal Online, 29 July 2006 ]

She is already out of the hospital, and has been advised by her doctors to relax and rest more by cutting her working hours and retiring to bed early every night. I think that's good advice from her doctors (who are my former mentors, btw). But I think the medical bulletins issued should have been more elaborate as to what were Mrs. Arroyo's other medical and physical examination findings. The moment they become more open about it, the better will be our understanding of how healthy she really is.

UPDATE: No, she does NOT have fatty liver. But that's according to her presidential management staff chief, who is NOT a doctor. I say, be transparent about the whole thing. Show us the liver function test results (LFTs) and the ultrasound reports, if there are any. Let her doctors talk freely.