Obama's health by the numbers

By Tim Langmaid
CNN Medical Managing Editor

A week ago today, Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, allowed journalists, including Dr. Sanjay Gupta, to view hundreds of pages of his medical records, dating back about eight years. This week Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic front-runner, released a very brief summary of his medical history.

The summary was written by Dr. David L. Scheiner, who notes he has been Obama's physician for more than 21 years. Neither candidate is required to divulge details about his health to the public. Both have. There's been a great deal of interest in McCain's health, primarily because of his bouts with skin cancer. For Obama, there have been fewer questions, but most have focused on his history with cigarettes.

You can read the doctor's one-page summary of Obama's health by clicking here.  Below are the highlights:

Obama is kicking his cigarette habit. Scheiner notes the senator has been an "intermittent" smoker but doesn't mention when he began smoking or how many cigarettes, on average, he smoked a day. But he confirms what Obama has mentioned on the campaign trail: The senator is using Nicorette gum with success. Smoking is more than just an obvious health issue for Obama – the senator's mother died of ovarian cancer and his grandfather died of prostate cancer.

Scheiner shares some lab results from Obama's most recent physical exam (January 15, 2007). The numbers indicate the 46-year-old is in very good health:

– Cholesterol 173   (less than 200 is considered "desirable" by the American Heart Association)
– HDL 68   (more than 60 offers some protection against heart disease according to AHA)
– LDL 96   (less than 100 is considered "optimal," the AHA says)
– Triglycerides 44   (less than 150 is normal)
– PSA 0.6   (lower than 2.6 is considered low/good according to the National Cancer Institute)

The doctor notes that Obama's blood pressure was a low 90 over 60 when he measured it during his exam almost a year a half ago. His electrocardiogram, or EKG, a measure of the heart’s electrical activity, was normal too. Scheiner also writes that, at the time, Obama was exercising regularly and often jogging three miles a day. That healthy habit may be getting tested now by the demands of the campaign trail.

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