This is surprising
Why surprising? After all, he’s 67. But George W. Bush seemed to be in superb health and took very good care of himself. Did all the right things.
And yet: a stent was placed in an artery following blockage discovered during a routine exam.
It oddly parallels Bill Clinton’s experience, although Clinton seems to have had a more serious problem since he had had angina as a symptom and then underwent bypass surgery. A few years later, he had some stents placed as well, and he’s been on a very rigorous diet program too.
Interestingly enough, Clinton’s problems were diagnosed about three and a half years after his presidency ended and Bush’s come four and a half years after the end of his. Makes me wonder if there’s something about the stress of the presidency that helps this along.
Otherwise, the two men are pretty different. When Clinton got heart disease everyone blamed it on his well-known penchant for eating junk food, and the fact that he was supposedly overweight. I never understood the “overweight” charge against Clinton; for a man his age he was in pretty good shape, actually, and not especially overweight at all.
But Bush? A lean, mean fighting machine. And his heredity is super—look at his parents! For me it underscores the essential unpredictability of these things. You can look at statistics, but for each individual there’s no predicting much of anything.
At any rate, I wish him a very speedy and uneventful recovery, and many more healthy years enjoying his family and his painting.
Take it from me, it’s better to have a stent put in place before you need one. Otherwise it might be too late.
That would be George W. Bush rather than George H W Bush?
Surellin:
Thanks!! Will fix.
There’s a lot that isn’t known about heart disease. I had a stent inserted 15 years ago after a heart attack. Afterwards the resident told me that my arteries were pristine, except for a single point blockage. It turns out that 25% of heart attacks are caused by “stuff”.
Surprise surprise surprise . . .
http://www.mrconservative.com/2013/08/22430-george-w-bush-gets-countless-death-threats-on-twitter-while-receiving-heart-surgery/
George W. Bush Gets Nasty Death Threats While Receiving Heart Surgery
prophylactic angioplasty and stents are now routine for 60-something men of all physical types and conditions. this is a great life extender / easy cure for what used to be called “heart disease” / hardening of the arteries. some experts think disposition is perhaps 70 percent genetic. aerobic exercise and weight control help. diet / salt may not be important, within reason and with variations, but people obsess over food-based “health” / cures / magic.
I too wish him a very speedy and uneventful recovery, and many more healthy years enjoying his family and pursuing his interests. Lord knows the man’s earned it.
I suspect Bush’s susceptibility to ailments of the heart is partially due to Presidential stresses, (the aging is palpable) but primarily a genetic susceptibility. It’s probably a recessive gene and my understanding is that when both parents carry the same recessive gene it can become dominant in offspring. That probably is an oversimplification but for me, biology was never a primary interest.
nyc’s “some experts think disposition is perhaps 70 percent genetic” would appear to support that view.
Hopefully, he’ll do some more painting during recovery.