Washington: Barack Obama's doctor has said the presidential candidate was in excellent health at the time of his last checkup 16 months ago, but he has a family history of cancer and a big, obvious risk - a smoking habit that he is trying to break.

In a one-page letter released by the campaign, Obama's longtime physician, Chicago internist Dr David L Scheiner, said he was summarising 21 years of medical records, during which the Democrat suffered only minor problems such as upper respiratory infections.

But hanging over that positive assessment: Obama is a smoker who has quit but relapsed several times. Obama, 46, announced in February that he was quitting again with the aid of nicotine replacement gum. His doctor said only that Obama is using Nicorette "with success."

Smoking causes a list of dangerous effects, including heart disease, strokes and lung cancer - and it takes the body a long time to heal after someone quits for good. Government statistics show that 15 years after quitting, the risk of heart disease drops almost to that of a never-smoker; 10 years later, the risk of lung cancer drops by as much as half.

It was not a clear when Scheiner had last seen Obama to verify the Nicorette use. But he said the senator's last official checkup in January 2007 found: Obama exercised regularly, often jogging three miles and had "no excess body fat." Actual weight was not disclosed.

Excellent blood pressure, at 90 over 60. Optimal blood pressure is considered to be below 120 over 80,very healthy cholesterol, no signs of problems on standard blood tests or a heart EKG.

Scheiner noted that Obama's mother died of ovarian cancer and his maternal grandfather died of prostate cancer.

Source : PTI