Among the most fraught questions about this election is the health of the aging candidates themselves.
We live in an age when people can live longer and healthier even with significant health conditions. What does this mean for future presidents?| June 26, 2024, 12:00 p.m.
The health of politicians has long been characterized by secrecy and political maneuvering . But they are even more pressing today, as social media amplifies questions about the health and fitness of public officials. Take, for instance, Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, whose health was a topic of great debate when he ran for office while recovering from a near-fatal stroke.
Thoughtfully evaluating the health of a political candidate is nearly impossible to do, however, when health information itself becomes politicized and it is unclear what the truth is. For instance, Mr. Trump has been effusive about doing well on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in 2018 and recentlyBut what isn’t clear in Mr. Trump’s statements is that this is a screening test for dementia or other cognitive decline, not a test of aptitude.
Whatever that cutoff is, it is different from one individual to the next and changes over time. When I started practicing medicine, there were official age limits beyond which patients with organ failure were not considered for a transplant. You could be a robust 75-year-old, but if you had catastrophic lung disease, you were simply too old to receive a transplant. That donated organ would better serve a younger person.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Lots of Biden and Trump voters don’t really like Biden and TrumpNew swing-state polling shows a lot of softness in candidate support — and broad support for abortion-access initiatives.
Read more »
Biden vs. Trump: New poll shows Trump far ahead of Biden with key group of votersWho is ahead in the latest presidential poll?
Read more »
Opinion: How Hunter Biden and Trump trials dangerously mix politics and justiceHunter Biden’s gun trial continues the trend of the courtroom becoming an extension of the campaign trail. It’s not a welcome development, writes W. James Antle III.
Read more »
Opinion: Are the campus protesters angry enough with Biden to vote for Trump?If Israel-Hamas war drives key votes, it could herald a turning point in what issues matter most to new generation.
Read more »
Opinion: The Biden and Trump weaknesses that don’t get enough attentionDonald Trump and Joe Biden come into Thursday’s presidential debate as incredibly well-known quantities defined by shared unpopularity and competing weaknesses. But their most important liabilities — for the incumbent, his decrepitude and his record on inflation; for the challenger, an unfitness distilled and confirmed by the events of Jan.
Read more »
White House denies Biden visit to Hallie Biden pertained to Hunter Biden gun trialPresident Joe Biden did not speak to daughter-in-law Hallie about the upcoming federal trial of his son Hunter, according to the White House.
Read more »