The Hill
Dr. Jonathan Reiner, cardiologist to the late former Vice President Dick Cheney, has weighed in on President Trump's health regimen, specifically his aspirin usage. In a recent interview, President Trump revealed his personal reasoning for taking a higher dose of aspirin to thin his blood, despite medical advice to the contrary.
"I don't want thick blood pouring through my heart," Trump, 79, stated. "I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?"
However, Dr. Reiner, speaking on CNN's "The Lead," strongly disagreed with the President's assessment. "That actually makes no sense," he said. "When we use anticoagulants to prevent clotting, they don't thin the blood in the way you're describing. It's not like switching from gumbo to chicken soup. Instead, they reduce the likelihood of clotting."
Reiner's comments highlight a critical misunderstanding of how anticoagulants work. According to the American Heart Association, aspirin does indeed thin the blood and prevent clots, but it also carries risks for older individuals. People over 70 taking aspirin for heart attack or stroke prevention may face increased bleeding risks.
President Trump, the oldest person to assume office, has downplayed health concerns throughout his return to the White House. He underwent a comprehensive health evaluation at Walter Reed Medical Center in October, including a CT scan for cardiovascular and abdominal imaging, and a cognitive test and MRI scan, which he claimed were "perfect."
"I would have been a lot better off if they didn’t it, because the fact that I took it said, ‘Oh gee, is something wrong?’" Trump told the Wall Street Journal. "Well, nothing’s wrong."
Trump's physician, Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, justified the scans in a memo, stating that they were "standard for an executive physical at President Trump's age." Barbabella also confirmed to the Journal that the scans revealed no abnormalities. Additionally, Trump has asserted his "perfect health" and aced a cognitive exam for the third consecutive time on Truth Social.
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