President Joe Biden
I think that if he has taken some sort of cognitive test, then he should just shout it to the heavens. Just like Trump does. There is no downside to him making an existing cognitive test public... Then there is the frozen face problem and the mouth agape problem. I know that problem from my father very well - Stuart Rojstaczer
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image by: President Joe Biden
HWN Suggests
The Struggles of President Biden and the Truth About Aging
Americans are suddenly engaged in a speculative conversation about whether the president is physically and mentally fit to lead the country and whether they can trust his self-assessment. What would it mean for a person to “get back up” who also can’t walk, speak or debate with the ease he once did? And how to make sense of his appearance at the debate and the stories that have emerged since about lapses of memory, naps during the day and occasional bouts of confusion?
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Doctors Are Increasingly Worried About Biden
Nine physicians weighed in on the President’s health. Almost all were concerned that Biden’s symptoms might go beyond a gradual, aging-related decline.
Is Joe Biden experiencing cognitive decline? Here’s why we shouldn’t speculate
Many people, including medical experts, have speculated that President Biden is showing classic features of neurodegeneration, including cognitive decline. But to what degree is cognitive decline a normal part of ageing? And what can we really tell about Biden’s cognitive state from public appearances alone?
Articles of Interest
A Geriatrician’s Perspective on an Aging Joe Biden
But does he have dementia? This has become the focus of media attention on the president’s current age and health.
Biden Would End His Second Term at 86. What Could That Mean for His Brain and Body?
Here’s a head-to-toe snapshot of the body and mind of an octogenarian and the potential problems doctors look out for.
Biden's stutter sparks dementia rumors after Atlanta debate - analysis
Joe Biden does not meet the criteria for dementia and is experiencing cognitive decline consistent with his age – 81 and a half years old.
Joe Biden’s ‘Cognitive Fluctuations’
Which version of the president will show up next?
President Biden’s Weirdest White House Habits
Of course, moderation is best in all things. And fortunately, if you squint really hard and comb through every article written on life in the White House since January 2021, it emerges that Joe Biden does have a few entertainingly odd habits.
Step Aside, Joe Biden
Joe Biden had the leading role in a crucial act in the grand story of America, and he played it with grace and honor. It is time for him to take a bow, accept the thanks of a grateful nation, and exit to well-deserved applause.
White House Aides Reportedly Confirm Biden Exhibits Classic Dementia Symptom
“He was over-prepared and relying on minutiae when all that mattered was vigor and energy,” one person in Biden’s orbit told Axios. “They prepared him for the wrong debate. He was over-prepared when what he needed was rest. It’s confounding.”
As a 76-year-old let me say: Joe Biden is too old to run again
I’m sure the president is experiencing some diminution in the memory department. I know I am.
At 79, Biden Is Testing the Boundaries of Age and the Presidency
President Biden has said he plans to run for a second term, but his age has become an uncomfortable issue for him and his party.
Biden Uses a CPAP. What’s a CPAP?
The authors of the Lancet Respiratory Medicine review write that “most cases of obstructive sleep apnea remain undiagnosed and untreated, even in developed countries.” So, good for Biden for using his CPAP—and even being willing to sport the evidence.
Biden's Physical Says He's 'Healthy' and 'Vigorous,' But 'Gait Remains Stiff'
Questions about Biden’s age have dogged him since he became the oldest president in U.S. history when he was inaugurated at 78 in January 2021. Before Biden, Ronald Reagan previously held the record for the oldest serving president, finishing out his last day in office at the age of 77.
Health and Medical History of President Joseph Biden
Summary of Biden's health history.
How Big a Problem Is Biden’s Age, Really?
Though there’s no evidence Biden has suffered substantial cognitive decline, his physical movement and verbal dexterity both appear diminished, and he has kept a considerably lower profile than most presidents. As he attempts to turn his age into an asset as 2024 approaches, his advisers are taking special measures, like using note-card reminders and shorter sets of stairs, to try to ward off fierce conservative attacks and skepticism from the broader public.
How Joe Biden's campaign hopes to overcome his age problem
Time waits for no man, the saying goes - and for 80-year-old Joe Biden, that could be a problem. Can the US president convince voters that his age is not an issue?
Inside the Complicated Reality of Being America’s Oldest President
President Biden is asking voters to keep him in the White House until age 86, renewing attention to an issue that polls show troubles most Americans.
Is age just a number? Ask Biden and Trump
Medical, political experts say concerns about physical, cognitive health of presidential candidates germane but evaluation complex, can’t be done from TV appearances.
No more hidin’ Biden: We need to see tests that prove he’s mentally fit to serve
Presidential fitness isn’t necessarily something we can count on knowing about — after all, historically, we the public have been routinely lied to by seriously ill presidents from Woodrow Wilson to Franklin Roosevelt to Dwight Eisenhower to John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan. Certainly, we are not in a position to assess presidential fitness via a video clip or past the smokescreen of a president’s handlers.
Opinion: What a doctor sees when Joe Biden hesitates
As a geriatrician, I discuss the effects of aging with patients every day. I wish I had a chance to give my usual talk to everyone who chortles or tears their hair out about President Biden’s fitness for his job.
President Biden and the Science of Aging
Why are some 90-year-olds sharp while those 10 years their junior aren’t? Look to their telomeres.
President Biden Is Turning 80. Experts Say Age Is More Than a Number
The New York Times spoke to 10 experts in aging to paint a picture of what the next six years might look like for a person of the president’s age.
Should the nation be concerned about Biden’s cognitive abilities?
Is Biden up to the pressure, his critics and some independent analysts are asking? Is he mentally fit? It would be pure speculation to assert that he is not capable, given the absence of specific information, to directly call into question the president’s health or competence. And the same kinds of questions have been raised throughout our history regarding more than a few U.S. presidents, especially by foes of their policies or at times of political weakness.
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
The Problem Isn’t Joe Biden’s Age
Clearly, something is wrong, though as happens when a person’s cognition is in decline, he has bad days and some better ones. But if age is the metric by which we judge someone’s ability to lead, what is the excuse for our vice president’s featherbrained word salads? She is 58 and should be in her political prime to everyone except Don Lemon.
The Question of Joe Biden’s Age: “It’s a Legitimate Concern”
At 80, President Biden is at the peak of his career. As he makes another run at the White House, those around him see a man with unfinished business who’s still deeply concerned about American democracy. But can they prove to the American voters that he’s up to the task?
We have a political problem no one wants to talk about: very old politicians
We should address these matters without rancor or cruelty, but also without euphemism or undue reticence. These matters are hard to talk about in American politics because they are hard to talk about in our own lives. I see my mortality etched on my father’s face, as my daughters see it in mine. Mortality and bodily fragility are two great constants of human life. How we handle those constraints provides a small but important test of American democracy.
What is atrial fibrillation, the heart condition US President Joe Biden lives with?
US President Joe Biden has the heart condition atrial fibrillation. This increases his risk of having a stroke five-fold and doubles the risk of a heart attack or dementia. More than 37.5 million people globally also have atrial fibrillation, but many don’t realise they have it. For most, the condition has few symptoms and does not limit daily life. However, identifying it and treating it is the only way to reduce its serious health consequences.

