Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole, on the eve of his 73rd birthday, released his health records Sunday in a bid to dispel doubts about his fitness.
In an attempt to pre-empt criticism on the sensitive age issue, Dole published the results of his latest examination which he underwent last month. He turns 73 Monday."He is certainly fit to be president. I see nothing in his medical examination or laboratory studies that would indicate he would not be," Dole's chief physician, Charles Peck of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, said in an interview.
John Eisold, the attending physician to Congress, echoed that view. "Overall, you remain in excellent health. In particular, your cholesterol level is 154, which is less than last year's value of 182," he said in a cover letter to Dole.
"This reflects superb control with medication, diet and exercise. Your blood pressure is normal at 110/74 and your weight is unchanged at 178 pounds. Furthermore your ECG is normal and your PSA remains undetectable and consistent with no recurrence of prostate cancer," Eisold wrote.
An ECG is an electrocardiogram test that measures the heart's activity. PSA refers to prostate-specific antigen, a blood test that measures cancer.
The report showed that Dole controls his cholesterol with the help of two drugs - Niacin and Pravachol.
Dole would be the oldest president elected to a first term if he beats President Clinton in the Nov. 5 election. The president, who turns 50 next month, currently enjoys a lead of 20 percentage points or more in recent opion polls.
Dole often boasts that his cholesterol and heart functions are superior to those of Clinton, who has been the frequent butt of jokes for his love of french fries and fast food high in cholesterol.
To those who suggest he is too old to be president, Dole replies by challenging them to spend time with him on the campaign trail to see if they can keep up.
He has mapped out a typically active day of campaigning Monday. He will join his wife Elizabeth at a soup kitchen in Washington before flying to Detroit to address Midwestern governors and wind up in his home town of Russell, Kansas, for an ice cream party in the evening.
Saturday Dole again slammed President Clinton's policies on fighting illegal drugs, calling them misguided and counterproductive.
"The sad fact is that the war on drugs will be tougher to win because of three years of misguided policies of the Clinton administration," Dole said in a radio address.
Dole complained that one of Clinton's first actions was to cut the staff of the Office of National Drug Policy by 80 percent. A White House official countered that the staffing has been restored.
Dole also said the Clinton Justice Department had dramatically cut the number of drug prosecutions.
Polls reveal that Dole's age is a concern for many voters. A CBS/New York Times poll in May found that 40 percent of respondents thought Dole's age would make it "too difficult for him to do the work of the presidency."
Dole underwent surgery for prostate cancer in December 1991 but he has shown no signs of recurrence.