Bernie Sanders: I'm "blessed with good health"
In December, Donald Trump's doctor proclaimed that the GOP front-runner, if elected, would be the "healthiest individual ever" to win the presidency. But according to a detailed doctor's note released by Bernie Sanders' campaign on Wednesday, the Vermont senator may give Trump a run for his money in the health department.
"You are in overall very good health," Dr. Brian P. Monahan wrote in a letter to Sanders dated Jan. 20. He went on to note that Sanders was "active in your professional work, and recreational lifestyle without limitation."
Monahan, whose office has served as Sanders' physician for the past 28 years, said that Sanders' general physical examination produced "normal" results, including blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Monahan also listed Sanders' thyroid metabolic profile, complete blood count, electrocardiogram, and most recent colonoscopy as "normal."
Sanders, when asked about his clean bill of health, said in an interview Wednesday that he has "been blessed with good health."
"All I can say is, thank god," Sanders told CBS News' Nancy Cordes. "Health is something that you don't always control yourself -- has to do with genetics and everything else."
"Anyone who follows me around this campaign knows that we're working pretty hard at it -- 15, 16 hours a day six, seven days a week," he continued. "So thank god my health is good and that's what the letter says."
Sanders also added that he was a "very good long distance runner" when he was younger. In the past, Sanders has said that his best mile time clocked in at 4:37 -- achieved when he was a junior in high school.
Among the many details in his letter, the candidate's doctor also provided a short history of Sanders' previously treated medical conditions, including gout, diverticulitis (an inflammation or infection in the digestive tract), hypothyroidism, and the removal of "superficial" skin tumors. The Democratic contender has also been treated for hernias and vocal cord cysts.
His current medications include daily doses of levothyroxine (for hypothyroidism) and intermittent use of an anti-inflammatory.
Sanders has no history of cardiovascular disease, according to Monahan. The Vermont senator does not use tobacco and only indulges in alcohol "infrequently."