The White House has released a health report on US President Donald Trump after his third medical examination in the past 13 months. The report, signed by Dr Sean Barbabella, declares the 79-year-old president "fully capable of carrying out all duties as commander-in-chief and head of state". That is a standard formulation no similar report will skip.

Even so, a few details slip through. The examination found swelling in the calves - improved compared with last year, the doctors say. And bruising on the hands, explained as "mild soft-tissue irritation" related to frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin for cardiovascular prevention. The translation for those following the American political theatre: these are the bruises that drew attention in several photographs over the past month.

Vital signs: height 190 cm, weight 108 kg, resting heart rate 73 beats per minute. He is taking medication for cholesterol control. Neurological testing showed a "normal mental status", with a cognitive score of 30 out of 30. "All checked PERFECT," Trump wrote on Truth Social - in caps and, predictably, without irony.

What the report does not cover is just as interesting: nothing about the skin treatment on his neck from March, nor whether any additional imaging studies were carried out. The White House previously confirmed that Trump has chronic venous insufficiency - a condition that is not life-threatening but causes poor circulation and swelling in the legs. That is the diagnosis behind the photographs of swollen calves and behind the decision to write these reports in such carefully chosen language.

For readers who think public health reports on politicians over 78 are always a little dressed up - this reaction is justified. Historically, every American president in the past thirty years has received a perfect health report from the military doctor. These reports are political documents more than medical ones. But a 79-year-old man with chronic venous insufficiency, swollen calves, bruised hands and cholesterol medication - that is not "excellent health" in the true sense of the term. That is health within the range of what can realistically be expected, and the White House is translating that into language that sounds dressed up from what it actually means.