BETHESDA, United States (AFP) — United States (US) President Donald Trump said an annual medical check-up had gone “perfectly” Tuesday, as the health of the oldest US president ever to take the oath faces growing scrutiny with the approach of his 80th birthday.

It was Trump’s third medical examination since returning to office last year and follows mounting speculation about issues including bruising on his hands and apparent sleepiness during meetings.

“Everything checked out PERFECTLY,” Trump posted on his Truth Social network as he drove back to the White House from the Walter Reed Military Hospital near Washington.

But Trump has long been accused of a lack of transparency about his health – and the chronology of his various check-ups during his second term has added to the confusion.

He referred to Tuesday’s check up as a “six-month physical”, despite the White House billing it as an annual dental and medical examination when it announced it earlier this month.

Trump’s last scheduled annual check up was in April 2025. But it was followed by an unannounced hospital visit that October, which the White House then also described as an annual physical.

The Republican billionaire’s claims about his health are all the more subject to scrutiny given his repeated boasts about his mental and physical vigour compared to Democratic predecessor Joe Biden. Trump turns 80 on June 14.

“I feel the same as I did 50 years ago,” Trump said during an Oval Office event earlier this month. He said that was despite his well-documented love of fast food, steak and Diet Coke, adding: “Maybe junk food is good.”

Officially standing at 6 foot 3 inches (191 cm) tall, Trump weighed 224 pounds (101.6 kilograms) as of his last full annual medical in April 2025, down from 243 pounds in 2019.

Trump has also spoken dozens of times about “aceing” a cognitive test that he claims his presidential predecessors have not taken.

But last summer, the White House disclosed that Trump had been evaluated for swelling in his legs and diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency – a common condition in which faulty vein valves allow blood to pool, causing swelling, cramping and skin changes.

The revelation came after Trump was seen with swollen ankles on a number of occasions.

Since returning to office in 2025, Trump has also often appeared with bruising on his right hand, usually covered with make-up. He also had a rash on his neck during one Oval Office appearance.

The White House has attributed the marks on his hand to the aspirin he takes as part of a “standard” cardiovascular health regimen.

During a number of White House events, Trump has also been seen apparently closing his eyes for several seconds, although he has repeatedly denied dozing off. After his October check-up, Trump said an MRI taken during the visit showed his cardiovascular health was “excellent”.