Bernie Sanders’s campaign released letters from three physicians that paint a rosy picture of the 2020 Democrat’s health after he suffered a heart attack in the fall.
The first letter covering the Vermont senator’s health comes from the Senate’s attending physician, Brian Monahan. Sanders, 78, is “in good health currently,” and the doctor sees no “limitation” of his “scheduled activities.”
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Monahan also wrote that Sanders has been treated in the past for gout, high cholesterol, an inflamed colon, a thyroid disorder, laryngitis, lumbar strain, and skin lesions. Sanders is currently prescribed five medications, which includes aspirin, a cholesterol drug, two heart drugs, and a drug used to treat his thyroid condition.
Two other doctors, both from the University of Vermont Medical Center, concluded his “heart function is stable,” and that they believe he is capable of enduring the stress of the presidency.
“Compared to otherwise healthy men with no known heart disease, [Sanders’s] exercise capacity is average for a man his age. Mr. Sanders’s level of fitness would be suggestive of favorable outcomes, from a cardiovascular perspective, going forward,” wrote University of Vermont Medical Center Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation Philip Ades.
In early October, Sanders, 78, was hospitalized in Las Vegas for three days after suffering a heart attack and underwent two surgeries to receive stents. Despite the health scare, Sanders maintained he recovered from the episode. Although the heart attack appeared to cause a momentarily drop in his poll numbers, Sanders has since positioned himself as a top-tier candidate in the Democratic primary race and is currently leading in a number of state primary polls.
Earlier this month, a leading 2020 Democratic rival of Sanders, former Vice President Joe Biden, 77, released a report from his physical summarizing his own health. That physician concluded that the former vice president is “fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency.” Weeks before, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s doctor wrote in a letter that the 2020 Democratic contender, 70, is “in excellent health.”
[Read more: ‘Lot of issues’: Former Obama doctor says Biden ‘not a healthy guy’]
