Remember when President Trump released a letter from his doctor that vouched for his physical and mental fitness? The media mocked it and their Democrat cohorts questioned the medical credentials of the physician. In order to quash frequent musings from political observers over his physical fitness given his advanced age and previous health problems, Biden has released a letter of his own.

It’s a three-page summary of Biden’s medical history. We already knew about the brain aneurysms in his past but did we know he is being treated for an irregular heartbeat? Kevin C. O’Connor, director of executive medicine at the GW Medical Faculty Associates signed off on Biden’s health fitness. Biden is also being treated for gastroesophageal reflux and seasonal allergies. Acid reflux and sinus allergies aren’t anything to be alarmed about but an irregular heartbeat isn’t something to gloss over in the same breath.

As a matter of fact, O’Connor said that Biden is “a “healthy, vigorous” 77-year-old fully capable of taking on the role of president.” O’Connor was Biden’s physician when he was vice president. The summary is the most complete medical record released on Biden since 2008 when the Obama-Biden campaign provided 49 pages of records. A CT angiogram in 2014 showed no recurrence of brain aneurysms.

“Vice President Biden is a healthy, vigorous, 77-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State, and Commander in Chief,” O’Connor wrote.

I sure don’t recall heart disease being a part of Biden’s medical history in the past, though. The new records trace Biden’s irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation) to 2003, a discovery made during a routine checkup before his gallbladder was removed. The summary states that Biden wasn’t given medication or treatment for it but is on a blood thinner. Atrial fibrillation can cause blood clots.

For the record, Biden is almost 6 feet tall and weighs 178 pounds. His blood pressure is 128/84 and his cholesterol is at 126. He doesn’t smoke or drink alcohol and does appear to be in good health for someone his age. He works out five days a week. Stuart Jay Olshansky, a professor of public health at the University of Illinois at Chicago says that is a good sign. Interestingly, though, Joe Biden hasn’t submitted to cognitive function tests. Like President Trump came under fire for alleged mental instability, so has Biden.

“The most important thing that I saw on there, once you get into your 70s, the one signal that is the strongest of all, that tells you someone is exceptional, is their ability to work out on a regular basis,” he said. “Working out at least five days a week for someone his age, if that’s indeed true, is remarkable.”

“The only test that hasn’t been done is the cognitive functioning test,” Olshansky added. “But the fact that he’s on the campaign trail and meeting a rigorous travel and meeting schedule probably would suffice as a replacement for the formal test for cognitive functioning.”

He said that cognitive tests are typically not required unless problems are detected.

I don’t think asking a 77-year-old presidential candidate to take a basic cognitive test is going too far, especially given the stumbles we’ve heard from Biden on the campaign trail. He often appears to be confused about where he is and loses his train of thought.

We know that Biden puts physical vigor at a premium. We hear him challenge others to wrestling matches or sit-up contests. Most of us chuckle and think “Ok, Gramps” but he must think it makes him look strong. If it ends up being a presidential election race between him and President Trump, the contrast in their campaigns will be interesting. Biden hasn’t kept a heavy schedule of campaign events while Trump is known for having multiple events on any given day. Trump refers to Biden as “Sleepy Joe”. Compared to Biden, Trump is the Energizer Bunny.

The other 70+-year-old candidate with heart problems, Bernie Sanders, promised to release his medical records by the end of the year. Elizabeth Warren and Michael Bloomberg both have letters from their physicians vouching for their good health and fitness to be the next leader of the free world.