WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush's doctors pronounced him healthy and in better shape than most men his age Tuesday, but the president himself seemed a little upset about packing on some extra pounds.
Doctors treated a small precancerous lesion on his left arm but indicated it was nothing serious. They told him to use sunscreen and wear a hat.
Bush got the works at his annual physical. It took more than four hours and was conducted by a team of nine doctors, overseen by White House physician Richard Tubb and Dr. Kenneth Cooper, the president of the Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas. The group included skin, hearing, heart, eye and sports medicine specialists.
"I find him to be fit for duty and have every reasonable expectation that he will remain fit for duty for the duration of his presidency," they said in a written statement.
Before leaving the National Naval Medical Center in suburban Maryland, Bush -- an avid mountain biker who is known to be intensely interested in his fitness level -- homed in on the negative.
"I'm doing fine. My health is fine. I probably ate too many birthday cakes," said the president, who celebrated his 60th birthday on numerous occasions last month.
The scale showed Bush at 196 pounds. He was 191.6 pounds at his exam last July. The physical also found the president shorter by a quarter of an inch, at 5 feet, 11 1/2.
A December 2004 physical showed Bush had gained six pounds since the summer of 2003 -- a development he blamed on eating too many doughnuts during his re-election campaign. The gain prompted Bush to a renewed commitment to exercise and fitness. He was rewarded last July with a loss of eight pounds.
Then came this year's addition.
"My guess is, he's determined to lose it," said White House press secretary Tony Snow.
'Superior' fitness
A four-page medical summary that accompanied the brief doctor's statement said Bush remains in the "superior" fitness category for a man of his age, in the 99th percentile.
The doctors used liquid nitrogen to freeze "a small actinic keratosis," a precancerous lesion, on his left arm. Other noncancerous skin growths were noted but not treated. The medical summary indicated the president has skin lesions consistent with sun damage and recommended that he use sunscreen and wear a hat.
Bush's overall cholesterol count is at a healthy level, dropping slightly to 174 from 178. There was a small rise in his high-density lipoprotein (HDL) count, or "good" cholesterol, and a smaller increase in his low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol.
The president's medical profile shows a low to very low risk of coronary artery disease. His resting pulse rate dropped to 46 beats per minute from 47. Well-trained athletes typically have resting pulse rate of between 40 and 60 beats per minute.
Doctors made Bush run on a treadmill for more than 26 minutes as part of a test that evaluates the performance of his heart. His heart beat reached 179 beats per minute; no signs or symptoms of cardiovascular problems were noted.
"I'll direct you toward the text, but he's still healthier than we are," Snow told a roomful of reporters.
Other information from Bush's checkup included:
His body fat percentage rose to 16.8 from 15.79.
His ability to see at a distance worsened a little, from 20/20 in both eyes to 20/30 in his right and 20/25 in his left. He uses reading glasses at times to see more clearly up-close. The doctors also noted floaters in his eyes, a normal sign of aging that seldom affect vision.
He has experienced no recurrence of occasional reflux of stomach acid bouts.
His six-day-a-week exercise regimen remained about the same: pedaling his mountain bike at up to 18 miles an hour for 15 miles to 20 miles a week; doing low-impact "hill work" on a treadmill; and free weight resistance training and stretching.
He smokes a cigar now and then, drinks coffee and diet sodas and takes a daily multivitamin but does not routinely take any prescription medication.
After his physical, Bush met with 27 military men and women at the hospital, and presented Purple Hearts to seven of them.