Does Trump Have Heart Disease? 5 Things To Know

WASHINGTON, DC — As President Trump's health has come under increasing scrutiny, the White House put the military's Dr. Ronny Jackson in front of the cameras this week to give the results of the commander in chief's physical. Jackson declared the president's overall health was "excellent," but many independent doctors quickly question this assessment — including CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who said Trump has heart disease.

Gupta said that the fact that Trump's coronary calcium CT scan — which measures calcium buildup in the arteries — came back with a score of 133 means he definitively has heart disease. Other experts, however, pushed back against these claims, saying that under some circumstances, an elevated score does not necessarily lead to the heart disease diagnosis.

Dr. Mary Walsh, the president of the American College of Cardiology, told Patch that the debate about whether Trump has heart disease was largely "semantic." It's not necessary, in her view, to say whether someone has heart disease based on a few tests. What is important, Walsh said, is that Trump's tests reveal he is at a moderate risk in the next 10 years of having a cardiac event, such as a heart attack or stroke, which could be reduced by living a healthier lifestyle.

Here are five things you should know about cardiac health.

1. Someone with Trump's physical results should be concerned.

Walsh disagreed with Jackson's assessment of Trump's overall health as "excellent," based on the publicly available information.

"I wouldn’t say 'excellent health,'" she said, citing his risk of a cardiac event, his high cholesterol and his weight. Men his age with lower cholesterol levels and a healthier weight face a significantly lower risk of a cardiac event.

2. About 610,000 people die a year from heart disease in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC said that this amounts to one in four deaths overall each year in the country.

"Cardiovascular disease remains the number one killer of men and women in the United States," Walsh said.

3. Declining rates of smoking have resulted in fewer heart disease deaths.

Stopping smoking, or never picking the habit up, is one of the best preventive steps people can take to reduce their risk of heart disease. Walsh said that happily, the mortality rate from heart disease had dropped recently because smoking has fallen out of favor.

Jackson noted that the fact that Trump doesn't smoke has reduced his risk of heart disease.

4. Having a healthy diet and exercising are key factors in lowering your risk.

Jackson said he is working on a plan with Trump to introduce more physical activity into his routine and improve his diet, particularly by reducing his intake of carbohydrates and fats.

Walsh notes that maintaining a healthy weight, keeping cholesterol under control, and making sure conditions like diabetes are treated will also help people avoid heart disease.

5. Cardiovascular disease should be a concern at all stages of life.

"Even as young as pre-teens, we have to encourage kids to make healthy eating choices, be active and not smoke," Walsh said. Making sure healthy habits are adopted and retained early is the best way to ward off against heart disease later on.

"The choices we make matter at an early age," she said.

She also said that everyone should be monitored for cardiovascular health when they visit their doctors.

For example, "knowing your own cholesterol levels is important at any age," Walsh said.

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