Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, 44, is in excellent health and has no major medical problems said a family physician in a letter released hours before Election Day. It is common practice that presidential and vice-presidential candidate’s medical records to be made public but earlier this month Palin had declined to provide any health information or be interviewed about her medical history. In a nationally televised interview with Brian Williams of NBC News recently, Palin promised that she would release her medical records. “If that will allow some curiosity seekers, perhaps, to have one more thing that they can either check the box off, that they can find something to criticize, perhaps, or to rest them assured over, fine,” Ms. Palin said.

Dr. Cathy Baldwin-Johnson, who works at the Providence Health and Services Alaska clinic in Anchorage, her family physician in a two page letter described the Alaska governor’s five pregnancies, including the birth of her son, Trig, earlier this year. Ms. Palin gave birth to her five children in 1989, 1990, 1994, 2000 and 2008 and her fifth child Trig was born at 35 weeks. Although routine prenatal testing early in the second trimester had shown that the fetus had the chromosomal condition known as Down Syndrome, Palin and her husband, Todd, decided to go ahead with the pregnancy.

Dr. Baldwin-Johnson wrote that Ms. Palin has been a patient at the clinic since 1991 and her visits “have been related to routine women’s health care and pregnancy.” The doctor added that Palin had a breast biopsy in 1992 for what turned out to be a benign lesion. The letter said that her vital signs, including blood pressure at 96 over 61 and pulse of 77, have been normal, she is on no routine prescription medications and has no drug allergies. Palin has no close relatives with major medical problems."She is physically fit with a regular exercise regimen," Baldwin-Johnson added.

The release of a brief summary letter is similar to what Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, 47, did earlier this year. Obama too did not release his medical records but instead a letter from his personal physician was sent. The doctor said Obama has very good cholesterol levels, outstanding blood pressure and no sign of heart disease. He is a smoker who has quit but relapsed several times. His doctor added that Obama is using Nicorette gum to quit smoking "with success."

John McCain, 72, medical records said he was in generally good health, cancer-free and with a strong heart. He maintains a healthy weight and blood pressure and takes medicine for his cholesterol. He undergoes regular skin exams for his melanoma, the worst kind of skin cancer for which doctors have given him a good prognosis

Joe Biden, 65, Democratic vice presidential candidate’s medical records showed him to be healthy with some aging issues. His blood pressure was healthy at 120 over 78 and he seems to have healthy heart arteries. He had an aneurysm that required emergency surgery 20 years ago and records showed no reason for concern about another aneurysm.

"In summary, Gov. Palin is in excellent health and has no known health problems that would interfere with her ability to carry out the duties and obligations of vice president of the United States of America," Baldwin-Johnson concluded.