Barack Obama (web|news|bio) 's doctor said Thursday the candidate was in excellent health at the time of his last checkup 16 months ago. The biggest obvious health risk to the Democratic presidential candidate: He's a smoker who has tried and failed to quit several times. He is trying again, with the aid of Nicorette gum, "with success," wrote Obama's longtime physician, Chicago internist Dr. David T. Scheiner, in a one-page letter released by the campaign. Obama, 46, is a regular jogger "with no excess body fat," Scheiner said. His last checkup in January 2007 found:

_Excellent blood pressure, at 90 over 60. Optimal blood pressure is considered to be below 120 over 80.

_Very healthy cholesterol, with a total cholesterol of 173 (normal is under 200); the so-called bad or LDL kind 96 (normal is under 130); and the so-called good or HDL kind at 68 (normal is over 40).

_An EKG showed no signs of heart problems.

Cancer does run in Obama's family: His mother died of ovarian cancer and his maternal grandfather died of prostate cancer. Also, black men are at increased risk of prostate cancer overall - so the two factors typically prompt doctors to begin prostate screening, called a PSA exam, in the 40s. Scheiner listed Obama's PSA last year at a very low 0.6, meaning no sign of abnormalities.

Scheiner has been Obama's primary care doctor since 1987. His letter, which Obama's campaign said was written in recent days, aimed to summarize 21 years of medical records in five paragraphs.

Republican candidate John McCain (web|news|bio), 71, last week released almost 2,000 pages of full medical records, documenting eight years of his health - including successful treatment for melanoma - and his own doctors' conclusion that he was fit for the presidency.

Written By LAURAN NEERGAARD

Email To A Friend